• New York City intersections equipped with traffic signals that give pedestrians a seven-second head start are associated with a 33% reduction in fatal and non-fatal injuries, according to a study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health published Friday.
• Researchers analyzed over 6,000 intersections, finding that the technique known as “leading pedestrian intervals” reduced injuries at all intersection types. Fatal pedestrian collisions during daylight hours were cut by 65%.
• Leading pedestrian intervals are a low-cost adjustment to signal timing that increases the likelihood of turning drivers yielding to pedestrians and allows slower-moving people an increased margin of safety, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Dan Zukowski