Barrier Categories

Access to Destinations

  • A lack of safe, connected, and reliable travel options. These barriers are caused by car-centric design and missing connections that limit direct access to community destinations. These barriers can limit access to key destinations and can be improved through physical development or redesign.

Travel Options

  • Lack of multimodal options that limits the comfort and availability of transit, walking, biking, and shared mobility travel. This barrier can be connectivity or availability of active transportation options.

Safety

  • Barriers that create unsafe conditions and risk for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. This includes issues related to infrastructure condition and design that compromise safety.

Quality of Life

  • Barriers that affect fairness, accessibility, and quality of life, particularly for underserved communities. This includes environmental impacts and limited access to essential services and environmental hazards.

Improvement Ideas

Pedestrian Infrastructure

  • Pedestrian Bridge – Provides safe crossing over high-speed roads or freeways.
  • Raised Crosswalks – Improves visibility and slows vehicles at crossings.
  • Pedestrian Refuge Islands – Adds a safe waiting space in the middle of wide roads.
  • Sidewalk Repair/Installation – Ensures continuous, ADA-compliant pedestrian paths.
Example of a pedestrian bridge crossing over a road.

Pedestrian Bridge

Bicycle Infrastructure

  • Bike Lanes (Protected or Buffered) – Creates dedicated space for cyclists.
  • Bike Boxes – Provides a safe area for cyclists at intersections ahead of vehicles.
  • Shared-Use Paths – Allows pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely off-road.
  • Wayfinding Signage for Bikes – Improves navigation and connectivity.
Woman with a backpack rides a bicycle across the road along the green lane for cyclists allocated at the pedestrian crossing

Bicycle Crossing

Intersection & Crossing Enhancements

  • Signalized Intersection – Adds traffic signals for safer pedestrian and vehicle movement.
  • High-Visibility Crosswalks – Uses bold markings for better driver awareness.
  • Curb Extensions (Bulb-outs) – Shortens crossing distance and improves sightlines.
  • Flashing Beacons – Alerts drivers to pedestrian presence at unsignalized crossings.
Crosswalk for people crossing on asphalt road with lights to signal cars to stop.

Crossing Enhancement

Traffic Calming & Speed Management

  • Speed Humps – Reduces vehicle speeds on local streets.
  • Road Diets – Narrows or reduces lanes to slow traffic and add bike/ped space.
  • Landscaped Medians – Provides visual narrowing and pedestrian refuge.
Road showing landscaped median for pedestrian crossing.

Landscape Median

Transit & Accessibility Features

  • ADA-Compliant Transit Stops – Includes ramps, tactile paving, audible signals, and seating.
  • Sheltered Bus Stops – Adds comfort and safety for transit riders.
  • First/Last-Mile Connections – Micro-mobility hubs or shared bike stations near transit.

Environmental & Equity Solutions

  • Install green buffers and noise barriers to reduce pollution impacts.
  • Promote low-emission zones and tree planting for cleaner air.
  • Encourage mixed-use development to bring housing closer to jobs and services.
  • Expand access to jobs, healthcare, and education through improved transit connectivity.