Pedestrian Program
Pedestrian Focus Areas
Ensuring everyone in Austin feels safe and included when moving around our streets is a top priority in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. That's why the City of Austin focuses resources on building out our sidewalk network, developing pedestrian crossings and other programmatic efforts to improve the comfort, safety and connectivity of our city’s pedestrian network.
Community Input
The City’s volunteer Pedestrian Advisory Council, advocacy groups and diverse Austinites and groups actively help to shape our work. On individual projects, a public process invites neighborhood and stakeholder input. It includes people traveling as pedestrians with wheelchairs, scooters, or other assistance. The City is continuously upgrading sidewalks, ramps, and the pedestrian network to make it ADA-accessible.
Contact
Call Austin 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000) for sidewalk or street service requests or submit online.
Featured Video
Have you ever wondered whose voice you hear when you push a signal button? We introduce you to Austin Transportation and Public Works' Lupe Alvarado, the person behind most of Austin’s voice-guided signals and a growing population who depends on this guidance every day.
Pedestrian Crossings
Pedestrian crossings address pedestrian safety and comfort at locations where different modes of travel intersect and where the risk of crashes or conflicts is highest. City data shows that creating pedestrian crossings in convenient locations improves road safety. Crashes that occur farther from signalized crossings, such as traffic signals or pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs or crosswalk signals), are more severe. Crashes occurring more than a half-mile away from the nearest signalized crossing resulted in serious injury or fatality 43% of the time, compared with only 22% of the time if the crash occurred within one-eighth of a mile of a signal.
Program Funding
Austin's Mobility Bonds support safer street crossings across the city. The 2018 Mobility Bond dedicates $15 million to intersection and pedestrian safety projects, including $4 million for the Pedestrian Crossing Program. The 2020 Mobility Bond adds $65 million for safety and conflict‑reduction projects, with $4.1 million specifically for pedestrian crossings.
View Pedestrian Crossing Prioritization Map
Pedestrian Crossing Treatments
- High-Visibility Crossings
High-visibility crossings improve a driver’s awareness of a pedestrian crossing through a striping design, which includes continental crosswalk markings. These enhancements are generally appropriate on all streets but higher-speed streets require additional treatments to provide the needed level of safety.
- Crossing Islands
Crossing or pedestrian refuge islands provide a protected space for pedestrians to stand and wait in the middle of a two-way street. Crossing islands are generally appropriate on all street levels and should be considered with signalized treatments for Level 3 and 4 streets with high travel speeds.
Read the Transportation Criteria Manual
- Curb Extensions
Curb extensions or bulb outs, extend the sidewalk into the street to reduce the distance of the crossing, limiting the exposure of crossing pedestrians and enhancing the sight distance between pedestrians and motorists. Curb extensions are good candidates for locations with existing parking lanes and should be used in combination with other countermeasures. Curb extensions are generally appropriate on all street levels within the guidelines of the Transportation Criteria Manual.
- Raised Crossings
Raised crossings are ramped speed tables spanning the entire width of the roadway, often placed at mid-block crossing locations. Raised crossings are particularly useful around schools where children are expected to cross frequently.'
Read the Transportation Criteria Manual
- Grade Separation
Grade separation refers to building a pedestrian bridge or tunnel to fully separate people crossing from moving vehicles on a multi-lane street or a controlled-access highway. Grade separation can eliminate the conflicts associated with crossing such facilities.
- Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB)
Pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB) include one yellow and two red lenses on a signal pole to stop traffic when pedestrians are present. PHBs are activated by a pedestrian push button or pedestrian detection. PHBs are generally appropriate on Level 3 and 4 streets.
Read the Transportation Criteria Manual
- Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFB)
Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFB) are rectangular-shaped yellow light indicators that flash when a pedestrian activates it via pushbutton or pedestrian detection. These are typically used with a crossing warning sign and are placed on both ends of the crossing and potentially on the crossing island (if present). RRFBs are generally appropriate when crossing islands can't be installed.
Read the Transportation Criteria Manual
- Other Signal Solutions
Countdown timers, Accessible Pedestrian Systems (APS) and Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) are among several solutions that support safer and more predictable crossings at signalized intersections.
Accessible Pedestrian Systems (APS) are integrated pedestrian signal features that provide audible, tactile, and visual cues to help people with disabilities—especially those with visual or hearing impairments—safely navigate street crossings. APS devices typically include audible walk indications, vibrating pushbuttons, and Braille or raised‑letter information to ensure equitable access at signalized intersections.
Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) give pedestrians a head start at signalized intersections by displaying the cross signal several seconds before vehicles receive a green light. This early phase increases visibility, reduces conflicts with turning vehicles, and improves safety for people crossing the street.
Requesting or Reporting a Pedestrian Crossing
To report an issue or request a new pedestrian crossing, contact Austin 3‑1‑1. All requests are reviewed and prioritized using the Sidewalks, Crossings, and Shared Streets Plan.
Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
Executive Summary
Between 2010 and 2015, there were nearly 1,900 pedestrians involved in traffic crashes in Austin, resulting in 121 fatalities. In addition to these tragic deaths, the serious, often life-altering injuries suffered by people who are involved in these crashes often go unreported in the news headlines. In fact, for every pedestrian fatality in Austin, there are another 10 serious injuries.
Austin’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) serves as a holistic framework for improving citywide pedestrian safety, so that the benefits of a safe and walkable city—from improved public health outcomes, to economic competitiveness, to environmental protection—can be realized for all people in Austin.
Pedestrian Crash Analysis
Austin Transportation and Public Works staff conducted a year-long analysis of crash data to better understand the causes and consequences of pedestrian crashes in Austin. Key findings from the crash analysis include the following:
Street design has a substantial impact on pedestrian crash severity
- 64% of pedestrian fatalities in Austin occurred on roads with speed limits of 45 mph or greater
- A crash occurring in an area with sidewalks missing on both sides of the street was nearly twice as likely to result in serious injury or fatality as one that occurred at a location with a sidewalk on at least one side of the street
- Crashes occurring over a half mile away from the nearest signalized crossing (i.e., traffic signal or pedestrian hybrid beacon) resulted in serious injury or fatality 43% of the time, compared with only 22% of the time if the crash occurred within one-eighth of a mile of a signal
- The presence of street lighting was associated with an 8 percentage point reduction in the probability that crashes occurring in otherwise dark conditions would result in fatality or serious injury. On average, the further from the street light, the more severe the crash.
Six behaviors contribute to most pedestrian crashes
- Failure to Yield
- Distraction/Inattention
- Impairment
- Improper Maneuver
- Speed
- Failure to Stop
Certain demographic groups in Austin are disproportionately affected by pedestrian crashes
- Minority communities, non-English-speaking communities, and lower-income communities have higher rates of serious crashes than other groups.
- High-crash Census tracts in Austin were associated with lower car ownership rates, higher transit ridership, and more people walking or biking to work.
- Older pedestrians, males, and those experiencing homelessness are at higher risk of serious injury or fatality as a result of pedestrian crashes
Community Priorities
The Austin community shared their top concerns and priorities regarding pedestrian safety through the PSAP public outreach process, which included 11 Open House meetings across all 10 City Council Districts. Austin residents logged nearly 3,000 comments on pedestrian safety in the City's Vision Zero Input Tool. Top concerns included a lack of sidewalks, speeding, and people failing to yield. Austin residents want to prioritize pedestrian safety treatments at areas with high crash histories and near schools, public facilities and transit stops.
Pedestrian Safety Priority Network
As part of the PSAP, the City developed a new tool – the Pedestrian Safety Priority Network – to help identify and prioritize locations in Austin where pedestrian safety treatments can have the biggest impact. The tool has three components: Crash Scores, Demand Scores and Risk Characteristic Scores.
Action Plan
The Pedestrian Safety Action Plan offers 21 key recommendations in engineering, education, enforcement, evaluation, policy/land use, and partners/funding to improve pedestrian safety in Austin.
Engineering Action Items
- Establish a Pedestrian Crossing Improvement Program to install large numbers of high-impact, cost-effective pedestrian safety treatments throughout Austin.
- Develop guidelines for implementing traffic signal modifications to enhance pedestrian priority and safety.
- Form a working group to recommend strategies to enhance street lighting to improve pedestrian safety.
- Implement the Sidewalk Master Plan to promote safe pedestrian mobility in Austin.
Education Action Items
- Develop educational materials on pedestrian safety, focusing on the top contributing factors and crash types, for dissemination to the Austin community and transportation partners.
- Deploy Vision Zero Street Teams to conduct targeted educational campaigns promoting pedestrian safety.
- Lead neighborhood walkability audits with Austin residents, businesses, and advocacy groups to identify opportunities to improve neighborhood safety and walkability.
Enforcement Action Items
- Work with the Austin Police Department to organize enforcement campaigns targeting the top contributing factors and crash types for pedestrian crashes.
- Identify existing City ordinances and State laws that can be strengthened, and explore potential new regulations needed, to better promote pedestrian safety and priority.
- Work with the Austin Police Department to develop lesson plans and materials to train law enforcement personnel on pedestrian laws and safety.
Policy and Land Use Action Items
- Include pedestrian safety and comfort as principal considerations in all City policies governing street and site design.
- Fund and construct pedestrian safety improvements through the City’s development review process.
- Develop a Pedestrian Master Plan as a unifying strategy to promote pedestrianism in Austin.
- Ensure that pedestrian safety is a primary consideration in the promotion and adoption of emerging mobility technologies.
Evaluation Action Items
- Establish a robust pedestrian counting program to gain a better understanding of walking demand in Austin and to help prioritize pedestrian improvements with limited resources.
- Regularly update the Pedestrian Safety Priority Network with new data inputs and develop more sophisticated prioritization tools over time.
- Regularly update pedestrian crash records with detailed crash type information and work with partner agencies to improve data collection and reporting.
- Evaluate and report on the effectiveness of existing and newly-installed pedestrian facilities to help inform Austin-specific strategies.
Partners and Funding Action Items
- Work with partner agencies to identify opportunities to improve pedestrian safety on high-speed roadways not under the City's control.
- Work with CapMetro to improve pedestrian safety around transit stops.
- Promote pedestrian safety and seek funding for pedestrian facilities in programs, plans and policies developed in conjunction with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).
Related Resources
Adopted in 2023, the plan focuses on the management and expansion of sidewalks, shared streets, and pedestrian crossing infrastructure and serves as the ADA Transition Plan for City of Austin sidewalks within the public right-of-way.
Vision Zero is Austin's commitment to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on our roadways. By designing safer streets, using data to guide public policy, supporting targeted enforcement, and engaging our community, we're building a transportation system where everyone can travel safely.
Adopted in 2023, the plan focuses on the management and expansion of sidewalks, shared streets, and pedestrian crossing infrastructure and serves as the ADA Transition Plan for City of Austin sidewalks within the public right-of-way.
Vision Zero is Austin's commitment to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on our roadways. By designing safer streets, using data to guide public policy, supporting targeted enforcement, and engaging our community, we're building a transportation system where everyone can travel safely.
The purpose of the Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) is to advise the City of Austin and other jurisdictions on all matters relating to walking. This group serves in an advisory role and is self-appointed.
The Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) advises the City Council, City Manager, and all other transportation-related departments on transportation matters. Members are appointed by the Mayor and Council.