A pedestrian separation structure is any
structure
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
that removes
pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
s from a
roadway,
street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
or
railway track. This creates a
road junction where vehicles and pedestrians do not interact.
This can be considered a type of
grade separation
In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tran ...
structure on the road.
These structures can be located either above the roadway or below the roadway. In the
U.S., access under the
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
requirements means that stairs cannot be the only access to these structures. An
elevator must be provided or a ramp built that conforms to the grade requirements under the ADA regulations.
In the broadest sense, building codes that limit the number of driveways that cross
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick ...
s may be viewed as making the sidewalks a separation structure.
In many areas,
wildlife crossings are provided in wilderness areas to allow wildlife to cross roadways without risking accidents. While not specifically built for people, they could be used by people in those areas.
History
Many of the early forms of these structures were provided to cross
limited-access highways in areas that were built up and lacked intersections. By allowing pedestrians and
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
s to cross over the highway, these bridges were viewed as low-cost alternatives to intersections.
In 1999,
Las Vegas,
Nevada began a major effort to install pedestrian bridges at major intersections along the
Las Vegas Strip, to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety.
*
Overpass
An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...
*
Pedestrian safety through vehicle design
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Pedway
*
Skyway
*
Subway
Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to:
Transportation
* Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems
* Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle
* Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
*
Tropicana - Las Vegas Boulevard intersection
*
Tunnel
References
External links
Grade-Separate Pedestrian Movements
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedestrian Separation Structure
Separation structure
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Road junction types
Pedestrian crossings