Attach <br />Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners <br />Attach <br />. be provided on both sides of the road; <br />. consist of a hard, level surface; <br />. be designed according to existing local guidelines with regards to width, depth, <br />surface type and placement; <br />o be separated from other vehicles with a kerb, buffer zone, or both; <br />. be continuous and accessible to all pedestrians; <br />. be adequately maintained; <br />. have adequate width (as narrow sidewalks may be an additional road safety hazard); <br />. include kerb ramps (as they are important in addressing the needs of people in <br />wheelchairs and pedestrians with mobility impairments); <br />. be free from obstructions (e.g. lamp posts and road signs), traders and other <br />obstructions; and <br />include demarcations by road user type when shared by pedestrians and cyclists. <br />10 While sidewalks and walkways are important facilities for pedestrians to <br />walk safely in urban and suburban areas, in some rural areas having a <br />wide paved shoulder may be suitable for providing a place for pedestrians and <br />cyclists to travel as an alternative to a sidewalk. <br />BOX 4.3: Retrofitting sidewalks and other pedestrian safety facilities in <br />Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates <br />Addressing safe walking and pedestrian traffic safety <br />may require constructing new pedestrian facilities, or <br />improving existing facilities that may not be safe or <br />user-friendly. The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Coun- <br />cil developed a street design manual to provide <br />guidance on addressing the needs of the growing <br />population and improving pedestrian facilities to <br />create more walkable and liveable communities (12). <br />The manual was adopted in January 2010 by the <br />Abu Dhabi Executive Council as the primary guide <br />to be used in designing all urban streets in the Abu <br />Dhabi Emirate. <br />A segment of a major street, known as Salam Street, <br />was redesigned in 2011 according to the Abu Dhabi <br />Urban Street Design Manual principles. Before <br />redesign, the street was characterized by significant <br />pedestrian risk, including: <br />• the presence of obstructions in the pedestrian <br />path, including manholes, utility poles, signage <br />poles, and other ill-placed street furniture; <br />• the lack of separation between pedestrians and <br />vehicles, in particular the absence of bollards and <br />kerbs; and <br />• drivers failing to yield to pedestrians at free right <br />turn points, with vehicles sometimes queuing on <br />the raised table. <br />The redesigned street has improved pedestrian <br />facilities, including wider pedestrian refuge islands <br />and medians, median barriers, raised crossings and <br />traffic controls. The retrofit has generally improved <br />conditions for walking and reduced vehicular speeds <br />by 4-10km/h, relative to a comparable nearby <br />street. The reduced speeds are mostly attributed <br />Continued... <br />71 <br />C <br />B <br />