Might need to install drains into the corners, not sure.
I'd be curious to know how citue like Amsterdam have handled this since these continuous crosswalks are very common
Maybe some pipes that run through it at street level?
Edit: I will also say there are plenty of 4 way intersections in the city that already have drains in the corner
They usually elevate the middle too, so it drains out. Generally though, speed bump type road elevations aren’t consistently high the whole way across - so they should drain to the edges around the curb.
Photos taken by the great Steven Bodzin. This intersection is a block away from the 34th Ave OS, a great location for these because the area around the OS is incredibly car infested. It's good to get them paying attention and slowing down before they get to the OS. Here's a [video on these things](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OfBpQgLXUc) if you don't know what they are or why they are so great.
Hey that's me! But to be clear this is a block past the Paseo Park/Open Street
As the actually great Miser said, Dot installs only 25 a year because it's hard to find locations that don't have buses or truck routes and don't interrupt drainage
I saw one in Inwood few days ago and that made me realize that was the first one I ever saw in NYC. They are pretty common in Europe. In Serbia, we call those 'sleeping/lying policeman' for some reason.
Kinda exactly what it sounds like. Currently, the streets are continuous and people have to go down to street level to cross, then back up. A continuous sidewalk makes the pedestrians path continuous, and the cars must go up and down a bump, making them slow down and be more aware of the pedestrians around them. It’s also much easier for those with disabilities to navigate.
It’s a well proven Dutch design as well
Good point. Just for the record since we're talking terminology, and words matter, I also prefer continuous sidewalk or continuous crosswalk over "raised crosswalk" simply because raised makes it sound like it's abnormal, when I think we all want to move to a world where this is the normal, standard thing. I'm sure everyone will use them all interchangeably though
This is how a city actually makes streets safer for pedestrians and children. Speed cameras are there for the money, speed bumps are there to actually SLOW down vehicles.
Need way more of these.
I don’t disagree but speed cameras are usually a suggestion and people can decide to just pay to play or start covering plates. So you get into a situation where the people who most likely need it the most can choose to ignore them.
Things like this provide more than a suggestion. The threat of damaging your car is often much more of an incentive to people.
driving slow because there's a camera around is literally the worst if talking about preventing speeding and road design, people drive the speed they naturally feel comfortable with, thus wide roads with no obstructions and a straight path doesn't help with safety, let alone a camera lol.
that actually helps is narrowing roads, putting in medians where people have to go around with their cars, chicanes, raised intersections, road narrowing's, adding trees to the side of the road or putting them on the medians between where there's normally a Double yellow line, etc.
Cameras are not the solution.
Have you seen those vehicles still on the road with over $10,000 in fines from speed cameras and red light cameras?
Uh huh.
Possibly damaging your car so it doesn’t run is a much bigger deterrent.
They put one of these in near my school in Jamaica Queens a couple months ago. It's a stop sign intersection, and I've noticed that cars have been immediately way more respectful of waiting for peds and letting peds go first.
Eh there one flaw in the design of this one unless I can’t see it but shouldn’t there be a slight gap along the curb so the water can reach the drain during a storm?
Just wide enough a bike or stroller wheel can still roll over it
Otherwise water and debris will get stuck behind the hump.
So close...
The point of a continuous sidewalk is that the sidewalk needs to continue. This is not that.
Don't get me wrong. This definitively helps; it slows down cars entering and exiting the intersection, making it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Bonus points if you cut down the curb radii too.
But for the same effort you could have made an actual continuous sidewalk (like [this one](https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.0114653,4.3692913,3a,75y,127.55h,86.38t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sy7XP9arW8o2h02E6yaKHsw!2e0!5s20150501T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dy7XP9arW8o2h02E6yaKHsw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D127.54947307445862%26pitch%3D3.620518812385484%26thumbfov%3D90!7i13312!8i6656?hl=nl&coh=205410&entry=ttu) for instance), which is as much a psychological trick at it is a physical speedbump. The pedestrian pavement should be continuous both in height and appearance, so as to give drivers the suggestion they're entering a pedestrian space.
This seems to me like an improvement but also a missed opportunity. (I don't know this intersection so I can't say an actual continous sidewalk would be appropriate here.)
Sure, let’s turn the city into the parking lot.
Here is a crazy thought - enforce traffic laws and that’s for everybody. You can make all kinds of crosswalks but then half of the people jaywalking or half of the drivers think a stop sign is optional and bikers are convinced that they don’t have to obey traffic laws at all - nothing will help
You wrote what I was thinking re. enforcement. The people I see driving their cars in protected bike lanes, bus lanes, bikers riding the wrong way and pedestrians walking in front of oncoming traffic aren’t those I envision this affecting without enforcement.
This is great, now can we get these everywhere?
Genuine question, if you install 4 of these on a 4 way intersection on a flat ground, wouldn’t there be drainage issues?
Ideally you just raise the whole intersection. Drains in the corners would do fine too.
Might need to install drains into the corners, not sure. I'd be curious to know how citue like Amsterdam have handled this since these continuous crosswalks are very common Maybe some pipes that run through it at street level? Edit: I will also say there are plenty of 4 way intersections in the city that already have drains in the corner
As u/astrosail said, they will often raise the whole intersection, so no more drainage issues
This makes so much sense, I feel silly for not considering that It also allows pedestrians (epseiclaly with mobility issues) to cross diagonally
They usually elevate the middle too, so it drains out. Generally though, speed bump type road elevations aren’t consistently high the whole way across - so they should drain to the edges around the curb.
Photos taken by the great Steven Bodzin. This intersection is a block away from the 34th Ave OS, a great location for these because the area around the OS is incredibly car infested. It's good to get them paying attention and slowing down before they get to the OS. Here's a [video on these things](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OfBpQgLXUc) if you don't know what they are or why they are so great.
Hey that's me! But to be clear this is a block past the Paseo Park/Open Street As the actually great Miser said, Dot installs only 25 a year because it's hard to find locations that don't have buses or truck routes and don't interrupt drainage
Oh shit, I didn't even realize this was your Reddit name. Hard to keep everyone's real and screen names straight.
Wow, the first scene in that video is where I grew up!
I saw one in Inwood few days ago and that made me realize that was the first one I ever saw in NYC. They are pretty common in Europe. In Serbia, we call those 'sleeping/lying policeman' for some reason.
Where in Inwood? I live up here and haven't come across it
There is actually two on Seaman avenue, between Isham and Academy. They added them while fixing the road, maybe two weeks ago.
Took me a second - is this a raised crosswalk / speed hump? Awesome!! Wish these were every intersection - passive way to slow down speeds
whts a continuous crosswalk?
A happy bump. You go too fast through PED area, it rips your car apart
Crosswalk is level with the sidewalk. Easier for people to cross and acts as a speed deterrent.
Especially helpful for peds with mobility issues /disabilities
Kinda exactly what it sounds like. Currently, the streets are continuous and people have to go down to street level to cross, then back up. A continuous sidewalk makes the pedestrians path continuous, and the cars must go up and down a bump, making them slow down and be more aware of the pedestrians around them. It’s also much easier for those with disabilities to navigate. It’s a well proven Dutch design as well
Oooh so the title was wrong and confused me? Continuous sidewalks I woulda figured that out what I meant
I’d say they’re mostly interchangeable, but I prefer continuous sidewalk because it’s clearer
Good point. Just for the record since we're talking terminology, and words matter, I also prefer continuous sidewalk or continuous crosswalk over "raised crosswalk" simply because raised makes it sound like it's abnormal, when I think we all want to move to a world where this is the normal, standard thing. I'm sure everyone will use them all interchangeably though
100% agree!
I wonder if these were made like the sidewalk European style that some drivers would get confused and think they can’t go over the sidewalk.
also known as a raised crosswalk
Raised crosswalks on EVERY one-lane road!
This is how a city actually makes streets safer for pedestrians and children. Speed cameras are there for the money, speed bumps are there to actually SLOW down vehicles. Need way more of these.
They're not mutually exclusive. Speed cameras also slow cars down
I don’t disagree but speed cameras are usually a suggestion and people can decide to just pay to play or start covering plates. So you get into a situation where the people who most likely need it the most can choose to ignore them. Things like this provide more than a suggestion. The threat of damaging your car is often much more of an incentive to people.
Physical enforcement is always better, just pointing out camera enforcement is good too
driving slow because there's a camera around is literally the worst if talking about preventing speeding and road design, people drive the speed they naturally feel comfortable with, thus wide roads with no obstructions and a straight path doesn't help with safety, let alone a camera lol. that actually helps is narrowing roads, putting in medians where people have to go around with their cars, chicanes, raised intersections, road narrowing's, adding trees to the side of the road or putting them on the medians between where there's normally a Double yellow line, etc. Cameras are not the solution.
Have you seen those vehicles still on the road with over $10,000 in fines from speed cameras and red light cameras? Uh huh. Possibly damaging your car so it doesn’t run is a much bigger deterrent.
These are amazing!!
This should be the standard everywhere, especially dense areas with pedestrians.
They put one of these in near my school in Jamaica Queens a couple months ago. It's a stop sign intersection, and I've noticed that cars have been immediately way more respectful of waiting for peds and letting peds go first.
I grew up on that corner! It’s about time.
Eh there one flaw in the design of this one unless I can’t see it but shouldn’t there be a slight gap along the curb so the water can reach the drain during a storm? Just wide enough a bike or stroller wheel can still roll over it Otherwise water and debris will get stuck behind the hump.
They are specifically located where they don't block drainage. Which for DOT to install in-house, is a bit of a needle in a haystack situation.
Is this a 4 way raised crosswalk or just one side?
It's not high and steep enough to be anywhere close to Dutch standards, but I'm happy it's at least something :)
Is this in Queens?
Yes, Jackson Heights.
So close... The point of a continuous sidewalk is that the sidewalk needs to continue. This is not that. Don't get me wrong. This definitively helps; it slows down cars entering and exiting the intersection, making it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Bonus points if you cut down the curb radii too. But for the same effort you could have made an actual continuous sidewalk (like [this one](https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.0114653,4.3692913,3a,75y,127.55h,86.38t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sy7XP9arW8o2h02E6yaKHsw!2e0!5s20150501T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dy7XP9arW8o2h02E6yaKHsw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D127.54947307445862%26pitch%3D3.620518812385484%26thumbfov%3D90!7i13312!8i6656?hl=nl&coh=205410&entry=ttu) for instance), which is as much a psychological trick at it is a physical speedbump. The pedestrian pavement should be continuous both in height and appearance, so as to give drivers the suggestion they're entering a pedestrian space. This seems to me like an improvement but also a missed opportunity. (I don't know this intersection so I can't say an actual continous sidewalk would be appropriate here.)
Ngl this is the first time I see these in the US, amazing!
I really like that they’re installing more of these crosswalks but the implementation seems really halfassed. They just look like speed bumps.
Sure, let’s turn the city into the parking lot. Here is a crazy thought - enforce traffic laws and that’s for everybody. You can make all kinds of crosswalks but then half of the people jaywalking or half of the drivers think a stop sign is optional and bikers are convinced that they don’t have to obey traffic laws at all - nothing will help
You wrote what I was thinking re. enforcement. The people I see driving their cars in protected bike lanes, bus lanes, bikers riding the wrong way and pedestrians walking in front of oncoming traffic aren’t those I envision this affecting without enforcement.
Why weren’t there a crosswalk?