Beyond traffic volume: arterial road features and spatial factors associated with pedestrian and bicyclist crashes

Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs)—pedestrians and bicyclists—face disproportionate risks in traffic crashes, especially on arterial roads. Given that arterial roads aim to keep traffic flowing through and between urban areas, understanding which specific arterial characteristics contribute to these crashes is critical for improving safety outcomes. This research uses negative binomial regression models and spatial analysis to examine road and environmental factors affecting VRU crashes on arterial corridors. This analytical approach can identify critical corridors requiring safety interventions. The findings reveal a significant association between access management and a 36% reduction of VRU crashes, indicating that controlling points of entry and exit with access management provides safer roads for VRUs. Other key factors associated with an increased likelihood of crashes include exposure levels (the number of VRUs) and the presence of permitted left turns. Interestingly, the presence of raised medians correlated with a 21% reduction in VRU incidents. Additionally, areas with higher poverty rates and African American population density had more VRU crashes. Identifying critical corridors and characterizing them by crash-related road features provides essential insights for urban planning and targeted interventions to improve VRU safety. This analytical methodology can be applied across different regions to address local safety challenges.