Intersection daylighting
{{Short description|Enhancing visibility at intersections to improve safety}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
Intersection daylighting, or simply daylighting, is an urban design strategy to enhance safety at intersections by improving visibility.{{Cite web |date = July 10, 2013 |title = Visibility/Sight Distance |url = https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/intersection-design-elements/visibility-sight-distance/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |publisher = National Association of City Transportation Officials |language = en-US }}{{Cite web |title = NYC DOT Enhances Pedestrian Safety at More Than 300 Locations Leading Into the Heart of Its Construction Season |url = https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2024/dot-enhances-pedestrian-safety.shtml |access-date = November 24, 2024 |website = www.nyc.gov }}{{Cite web |last = Ramsay |first = D. J. |date = January 5, 2024 |title = Vision Zero: What is Intersection Daylighting? |url = https://www.cityoflancasterpa.gov/blog/vision-zero-what-is-intersection-daylighting/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |publisher = City of Lancaster, PA |language = en-US }}{{Cite book |last = Kennedy Hardy |title = Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Volume 12: A Guide for Reducing Collisions at Signalized Intersections |publisher = National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board |location = Washington DC |url = https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/nchrp500_antonucci.pdf }}{{Cite book |last = Federal Highway Administration |url = https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferjourney1/library/countermeasures/56.htm |title = Pedestrian Safer Journey, Safety Improvement Countermeasures: Remove/Restrict Parking |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |location = Washington, DC. }}
About 40-60% of pedestrian and cyclist injuries occur at intersections.{{Cite journal |last1 = Asgarzadeh |first1 = Morteza |last2 = Verma |first2 = Santosh |last3 = Mekary |first3 = Rania A. |last4 = Courtney |first4 = Theodore K. |last5 = Christiani |first5 = David C. |date = June 1, 2017 |title = The role of intersection and street design on severity of bicycle-motor vehicle crashes |url = https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/23/3/179 |journal = Injury Prevention |language = en |volume = 23 |issue = 3 |pages = 179–185 |doi = 10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042045 |issn = 1353-8047 |pmc = 5502254 |pmid = 27881469 }}{{Cite web |date = August 17, 2022 |title = We Need to Make Intersections Safer for Pedestrians and Cyclists |url = https://itdp.org/2022/08/17/intersections-safer-pedestrians-and-cyclists/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |publisher = Institute for Transportation and Development Policy |language = en-US }} Daylighting reduces collisions by removing obstructions that prevent drivers from seeing other cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials recommends daylighting by preventing cars from parking within {{convert|20|-|25|ft|m}} of an intersection.{{Cite web |date = July 10, 2013 |title = Visibility/Sight Distance |url = https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/intersection-design-elements/visibility-sight-distance/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |publisher = National Association of City Transportation Officials |language = en-US }} If parking is merely disallowed by law or signage, drivers may not always comply, so it is best to replace parking with curb extensions or other physical infrastructure that do not impede visibility, like planters, granite blocks, or bike share stations.{{Cite |title=NACTO Bike Share Siting Guide |url=https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NACTO-Bike-Share-Siting-Guide_FINAL.pdf |publisher = National Association of City Transportation Officials }}
Many jurisdictions, such as New York State (excluding New York City) and Pennsylvania disallow parking {{convert|20|-|32|ft|m}} near all intersections.{{Cite web |title = 2023 New York Laws :: VAT - Vehicle and Traffic :: Title 7 - Rules of the Road :: Article 32 - Stopping, Standing, and Parking :: 1202 - Stopping, Standing or Parking Prohibited in Specified Places. |url = https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/vat/title-7/article-32/1202/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |via = Justia Law |language = en }}{{Cite web |last = Ramsay |first = D. J. |date = January 5, 2024 |title = Vision Zero: What is Intersection Daylighting? |url = https://www.cityoflancasterpa.gov/blog/vision-zero-what-is-intersection-daylighting/ |access-date = November 24, 2024 |publisher = City of Lancaster, PA |language = en-US }} In such cases, further daylighting typically involves safety improvements that encourage compliance with existing laws against parking near intersections. On the other hand, in jurisdictions that by default allow parking close to an intersection, such as New York City, daylighting removes parking spots.
== See also ==
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