A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety October 2013 Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety October 2013 U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA-SA-13-037 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety October 2013 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report Tom Huber, Kevin Luecke, Michael Hintze, Virginia Coffman, Jennifer Toole, Matt No. VanOosten 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. 8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700 11. Contract or Grant No. Vienna, VA 22182 DTFH61-10-D-00022 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety Guidance 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, D.C. 20590 FHWA-HSA1 15. Supplementary Notes The contract manager for this report was Tamara Redmon (FHWA Office of Safety). The project team gratefully acknowledges the input provided by the report and guide’s panel of experts. These panel members are: • Paula Reeves, Washington Department of Transportation, Olympia, WA • Sean Harbaugh, Columbia Association, Columbia, MD • Donna Gardino, Fairbanks MPO, Fairbanks, AK • Mike O’Meara, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin Rapids, WI • Tom Fischer, City of Tuscon, Arizona • Arthur Ross, City of Madison, WI • Mary Anne Koos, Florida DOT-Roadway Design Office, Tallahassee, FL • Marni Ratzel, City of Boulder, CO. • Kevin Farrington, City of Plattsburgh, New York • Dan Bauer, City of Minneapolis, MN • Yon Lambert, City of Alexandria, VA Melissa Anderson of the U.S. Access Board, Washington D.C. is acknowledged for both her participation on the panel and for her tireless assistance and guidance on accessibility issues. FHWA staff members who provided initial and on-going direction include Gabe Rousseau, Candace Groudine, Jody McCullough, Brooke Struve, Michelle Noch, Kristie Johnson, Hillary Isebrands, and Peter Eun. Images were provided by Toole Design Group, City of Charlotte, City of Ithaca, and panel members Paula Reeves, Tom Fisher, Melissa Anderson, and Sean Harbaugh. 16. Abstract A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety provides guidance for maintaining pedestrian facilities with the primary goal of increasing safety and mobility. The Guide addresses the needs for pedestrian facility maintenance; common maintenance issues; inspection, accessibility, and compliance; maintenance measurers; funding; and construction techniques to reduce future maintenance. 17. Key Words: 18. Distribution Statement pedestrian, facility, maintenance, sidewalk, path, crosswalk, signal, funding, repair, concrete, asphalt, safety, accessibility, access, patching, curb ramps, ADA, hazard, crack, inspection 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 157 A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... i List of Figures .............................................................................................................. iv 1 | Purpose and Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 | Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 | Audience for Guide ........................................................................................................ 2 1.3 | Types of Pedestrian Facilities ......................................................................................... 2 1.4 | Overview of Pedestrian Maintenance Programs in the United States ............................. 3 1.5 | Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 4 2 | The Case for Pedestrian Facility Maintenance ............................................................. 6 2.1 | Pedestrian Facilities – A Part of the Transportation System .......................................... 6 2.2 | Maintenance is Critical for Safety .................................................................................. 6 2.3 | Maintenance Improves Mobility .................................................................................... 8 2.4 | Maintenance is Critical for People with Mobility Restrictions ........................................ 9 2.5 | Asset Management ....................................................................................................... 10 2.6 | Liability Management ................................................................................................... 11 3 | Common Maintenance Issues ................................................................................... 12 3.1 | Surface Types ................................................................................................................ 12 3.1.1 | Concrete ................................................................................................................ 12 3.1.2 | Asphalt .................................................................................................................. 13 3.1.3 | Brick and Pavers .................................................................................................... 13 3.2 | Common Maintenance Issues ....................................................................................... 14 3.2.1 | Infrastructure Issues Leading to Increased Maintenance ....................................... 15 3.2.2 | Seasonal Maintenance .......................................................................................... 21 4 | Inspection, Accessibility, Compliance, Plans and Policies........................................... 27 4.1 | Inspection and Accessibility .......................................................................................... 27 4.1.1 | Importance of Inspection ....................................................................................... 27 4.1.2 | Inspection Criteria ................................................................................................ 28 4.1.3 | Inspection and Accessibility .................................................................................. 29 4.1.4 | Using Maintenance to Improve Accessibility ......................................................... 34 4.1.5 | Inspection Types ................................................................................................... 37 4.1.6 | Documentation of Inspection Results and New Technologies ............................... 43 i A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety 4.2 | Compliance ................................................................................................................... 45 4.2.1 | Principles for Compliance ...................................................................................... 45 4.2.2 | Compliance with Sidewalk Repair and Replacement Ordinances ........................ 46 4.2.3 | Compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) ........ 48 4.2.4 | Routine Maintenance Supported by Laws and Ordinances .................................. 49 4.2.5 | Types of Enforcement Efforts ............................................................................... 50 4.3 | Policies and Ordinances ................................................................................................ 52 4.4 | Plans ............................................................................................................................. 53 4.4.1 | Inspection Criteria and Procedures ........................................................................ 54 4.4.2 | Prioritization and Funding ..................................................................................... 54 4.4.3 | Communication ..................................................................................................... 55 4.4.4 | Documentation ..................................................................................................... 56 4.4.5 | Equipment ............................................................................................................ 56 4.5 | Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 57 5 | Maintenance Measures ............................................................................................ 58 5.1 | When is Maintenance Necessary for Sidewalks, Paths, and Curb Ramps? .................... 58 5.2 | Maintenance Repair Methods for sidewalks and paths ................................................. 59 5.2.1 | Patching ................................................................................................................ 63 5.2.2 | Cracking Repairs ................................................................................................... 65 5.2.3 | Wedging ................................................................................................................ 67 5.2.4 | Grinding and Horizontal Cutting .........................................................................