Traffic Safety Measures

Roadway designs and plans are reviewed to Traffic Engineering to ensure appropriate and thoughtful implementation of design, speed limits, signs, and signals. This can include safety components such as:

Crosswalks

A crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely.

Crosswalks are not safety devices and are used to assist and direct pedestrians along the safest route rather than to ‘stop’ traffic. Crosswalks often have signs or traffic signals supporting them to controlling traffic or warn drivers that someone might be crossing.

Pedestrian Signals

Pedestrian pushbuttons and associated signals are located at some signalized intersections to interrupt the timing of vehicular traffic signals to allow pedestrians to cross a street safely. 

At intersections with high pedestrian traffic, the vehicular traffic signals may be programmed to provide regular pauses in vehicular traffic with each traffic signal cycle and a pushbutton is not necessary. 

At a busy intersection with a pushbutton, it may take as long as two minutes or more to go through a complete traffic signal cycle but if the wait time exceeds three minutes, please report the issue by submitting a service request online or by calling (757) 385-3111. 

A pedestrian signal will not protect you from careless drivers who do not know or do not obey the law and are designed and implemented to assist pedestrians with the safest route.

Flashing Yellow Arrows

Four-section signal heads with arrows are designed to control left turns and improve safety at intersections.

Stop Signs

A Stop sign is one of the most valuable and effective traffic safety devices, when used at the right place and under the right conditions.

Speed Limits

Speed limits provide motorists with information that will facilitate the safe flow of traffic under normal conditions. They are established based upon thorough traffic engineering criteria like roadway classification, accident history, vehicle speed, number of vehicles, pedestrians and bicycle traffic, and physical features of the road such as sidewalks, curves, driveways, intersections, and traffic control.

Learn More

Additional information on the above safety features and devices, including frequently asked questions and tips for pedestrians and vehicle operators can be found in the brochures below.