Pedestrian Crossings & Safety on the White Earth Reservation
Project Abstract
Studies by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) show that American Indians have higher rates of pedestrian injury and death per capita than any other population group in the United States 1 . Historically, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MHistorically, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has built highway infrastructure through Indian reservations which has increased the risk of crashes between drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Since the 1950s, Tribal villages have grown, and limited access to cars or transit has increased the risks for pedestrians, leading to this safety study partnership. In 2017, the Minnesota Department of Transportation ( MnDOT ) invited Tribal Nations and the Advocacy Council for Tribal Transportation (ACTT ) to partner to monitor pedestrian crossings and behaviors in the presence of drivers at sites identified by Tribal Transportation Managers on seven reservations in Minnesota. The objective was to document pedestrian-driver interactions and yield rates at crossing locations identified by Tribal officials. This Story Map summarizes results from monitoring on the White Earth Reservation in 2021. Tribal leaders and MnDOT District 4 engineers are using these results to plan and implement countermeasures to reduce pedestrian risk when crossing state highways on the reservation. ( Phase 1 Report . Phase 2 Report).
Navigating the Story Map
This Story Map will include a series of study sites and results. Scroll to read through the story and see the accompanying maps.
Maps will display to the right, this is a sample study intersection in Mahnomen, White Earth Reservation. Some navigation tips:
- Some maps, such as this one, are interactive and navigable. Click and drag to move around and use the + and - symbols on the bottom right to zoom in and out for context
- The home icon (bottom right of map) will return you to the original view:
Home Icon
Observed Pedestrian Crossing Trajectories are shown as light dashed lines representing general trajectories between crossing zones, which are indicated by darker dashed lines.
Note: The "default view" for some maps may appear cropped when viewing on a smaller device such as a laptop or smartphone, and may cut out some relevant information. If this is the case, you may use the interactive features to zoom in or out and move the map to see more details.
Pedestrian Safety Concerns on the White Earth Reservation
Tribal transportation leaders identified three unmarked pedestrian east-west crossing locations where pedestrians experience the risk of crashes with drivers when crossing Highway 59 for daily activities like going to work, going to school, shopping or eating at a restaurant, or visiting a Tribal institution.
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Municipality of Mahnomen (Pop. 1,244) Crossing Sites
- HWY 59 & Washington (Dollar Store)
- HWY 59 & Adams (near Vacant Commercial property)
Safety Concerns
- Vehicular annual average daily traffic (AADT) = 3,790
- Pedestrians cross between two and four lanes (at locations with turn lanes) of traffic on Hwy 59 when traveling east-west on Washington and Adams to and from residential locations, retail services (e.g., Dollar Store), Tribal Institutions (e.g., White Earth Tribal and Community College), and other destinations
- Mid-block crossings also common
- Crossings not marked
- Absence of pedestrian facilities may increase crash risk
Municipality of Waubun (Pop. 409) Crossing Site
- HWY 59 & HWY 113
Safety Concerns
- Vehicular annual average daily traffic (AADT) = 3,790
- Pedestrians cross between two and four lanes (at locations with turn lanes) of traffic on HWY 59 when walking east-west on HWY 113 to/from school to thee north, residential locations, and convenience store
- Crossing areas are unmarked and uncontrolled
- Pedestrians interact with vehicles when crossing
Monitoring Methods
MnDOT contracted with the Minnesota Traffic Observatory at the University of Minnesota to deploy video cameras, record pedestrian crossings, and document pedestrian and driver behaviors, interactions (i.e., changes in trajectories), and yield rates.
Specific protocols for 2021 camera deployment and monitoring methods are outlined in the Final Report.
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Mahnomen
HWY 59 & Washington Ave
East-West Crossings are Recorded
- Camera mounted near Dollar general facing southwest
- Crossings recorded during daytime hours for 13 days in September 2021
- Four general crossing trajectories observed and coded
Camera view. See camera location on map on right
Example Crossing: Cyclists west-to-east
This map is interactive. Use the Home Icon to return to the default view.
HWY 59 & Adams Ave
East-West Crossings are Recorded
- Camera deployed near Dollar General store facing southwest
- Crossings recorded during daytime hours for 14 days in September 2021
- Six general crossing trajectories observed and coded
Camera View. See camera location on map on right.
Example Crossing: Pedestrian rushing west-to-east
This map is interactive. Use the Home Icon to return to the default view.
Waubun
HWY 59 & HWY 113
East-West Crossings are Recorded
- Camera deployed across from the Gas Station facing northwest
- Crossings recorded during daytime hours for 14 days in September 2021
- Five general crossing trajectories observed and coded
See camera location on map on right
Example Crossing: Pedestrian yielding to vehicles before crossing west-to-east
This map is interactive. Use the Home Icon to return to the default view
For more details on methodology, please see section X of the Final Report
Monitoring Results
Mahnomen
HWY 59 & Washington Ave
The majority of pedestrians (74%) crossed on the north side of the intersection when traveling to and from downtown Mahnomen and residential areas west of Hwy 59 to the Dollar Store, the Tribal Community College, and other destinations east of Hwy 59. Many pedestrians also crossed diagonally southwest-northeast to and from the Dollar Store.
Daily Variation in Pedestrian Crossings
Observed Crossings per Day
- High day to day variability (11 to 60 pedestrians per day)
- Average: 2.6 pedestrians per hour
- Midday peak and late evening peaks observed
HWY 59 & Adams
The majority of pedestrians (78%) crossed onthe south side of the crossing site when traveling to and from residential, retail, and commercial areas west of Hwy 59 to commercial services, the Tribal Community College and other destinations east of Hwy 59. Immediately south of the Adam Street intersection, access to Hwy 59 from the west is limited because of the presence of a train yard.
Daily Variation in Pedestrian Crossings
Observed Crossings per Day
- High day to day variability (3 to 18 pedestrians per day)
- Average: 0.6 crossings per hour
- Midday peak and evening peak observed
Waubun
HWY 59 & HWY 113
Almost all of the pedestrians (98%) crossed on the north side of HWY 113 when traveling to and from the school and residential areas west of HWY 59 to the convenience store and other destinations east of HWY 59
Daily Variation in Pedestrian Crossings
Observed Crossings per Day
- High day to day variability due to one outlier (1 to 17 pedestrians per day)
- Average: 0.3 crossings per hour
- Early afternoon peak and evening peak observed
Evidence for Planning & Risk Reduction
Tribal transportation managers and MnDOT District engineers and planners historically have lacked the data needed to plan for countermeasures to reduce the risk of crashes when pedestrians cross State highways on reservations. These seven year innovative collaboration documents pedestrian volumes and behaviors, including midblock crossings, pedestrian-driver interactions, and pedestrian yield rates at three locations on the White Earth Reservation. Tribal and MnDOT staff now are using these data to inform future projects to increase pedestrian safety along these roadways.
In Mahnomen, engineers are exploring options to reduce risk on the mile-long stretch of Hwy 59 that includes Washington and Adams. Options that potentially could reduce risk to pedestrians include additional signage, marked crosswalks, pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacons, and other countermeasures designed to communicate common pedestrian behaviors and encourage predictability.
In Waubun, in response to concerns about students from the high school crossing both Hwy 59 and Hwy 113 to reach the convenience store, MnDOT built a sidewalk between the school and the Gas Station store on the northeast corner of 113. Another sidewalk will be built on the southside of Hwy 113 intersection in 2024 to reduce the need for pedestrians to walk on the Hwy 113 shoulder. MnDOT also has built pedestrian ramps at the intersection in anticipation of future crossing improvements. Although the number of daily crossings of Hwy 59 are comparatively low, MnDOT updated the signing in the corridor (advisory 45mph). Future safety improvements to be considered may include the feasibility of a roundabout at the Hwy 59-Hwy 113 intersection.
Roadway safety challenges on reservations in Minnesota exist in large part because MnDOT historically built highways that split Tribal communities with little regard for or coordination with the local people and their travel needs. Additionally, decades of use of inequitable project evaluation criteria, combined with structural and societal disparities, has led to low prioritization of projects on reservations and the erosion of trust between governments. This study is one of many MnDOT efforts to address these deeply-rooted issues by using innovative methods to create new evidence to inform equitable decisions about transportation investments.
Acknowledgments
Project Partners
- White Earth Nation
- Advocacy Council for Tribal Transportation
- Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
- University of Minnesota (UMN) & Minnesota Traffic Observatory (MTO)
Story Map Authors
- UMN, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
- Sebastian Coll
- Greg Lindsey
