Field report · Topeka, Kansas
Pedestrian
Crossing Analysis
SW Washburn Avenue
at SW 9th Street
Prepared for
Field report · Topeka, Kansas
Pedestrian Crossing Analysis
SW Washburn Avenue & SW 9th Street
Prepared for Historic Old Town Neighborhood Improvement Association
13 October 2026 · Version 3
01Executive summary
Historic Old Town Neighborhood Improvement Association is considering a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the existing marked crossing on SW Washburn Avenue near SW 9th Street. This study used automated analysis of approximately 12.8 hours of usable video recorded on 4 and 8 September 2026 to examine crossing activity along the hospital frontage. Of 308 automatically identified crossing events included in the analysis, 239 (78%) used unmarked routes north of the marked crosswalk. The findings support evaluating how the RRFB project can better serve this northern crossing activity while retaining access at the existing crossing. They do not establish a final crossing location or treatment.
Most observed crossings occurred north of the existing marked crosswalk.
Unmarked northern crossing area · 239 eventsMarked crossing area · 62 eventsOther cross-road routes · 7 events
Project relevance
An RRFB is intended to make pedestrians at a marked crossing more visible to drivers and encourage yielding. [2] At this site, the project also needs to address the substantial crossing activity to the north. A beacon at the existing crosswalk would not directly serve those movements unless pedestrians changed their routes. Evaluating how an improved crossing could provide convenient access to the hospital is therefore central to the project, alongside the choice of traffic-control treatment.
02Site context
Site setting
The study area is at the intersection of SW Washburn Avenue and SW 9th Street, beside Stormont Vail Hospital. The hospital occupies the west side of Washburn, while two parking areas lie to the east in the blocks directly north and south of 9th Street. Washburn carries one-way southbound traffic. The marked pedestrian crosswalk is immediately south of the intersection, with advance yield markings positioned upstream, just north of 9th Street. Drivers approaching the crosswalk therefore encounter the yield markings before entering the intersection.
Enlarge figure ↗Access from the parking areas
The marked crossing is immediately south of the intersection and connects to the sidewalk from the southern parking area. Pedestrians approaching from the northern parking area must first cross 9th Street to reach it. Crossing Washburn directly from the northern frontage avoids that additional street crossing.
Proposed crossing improvement
The RRFB proposal concerns the existing marked crossing. That crossing is shown in the site illustration and the left-hand street view in Figure 2b.
03Observed crossing activity
Crossing locations
The northern crossing area accounted for 239 of the 308 automatic events (78%). Another 62 (20%) used the existing-crossing approach, and seven (2%) followed other cross-road routes. The estimated paths show the concentration along the northern frontage.
77.6%Northern crossing area239 of 308 events
20.1%Existing-crossing approach62 of 308 events
2.3%Other cross-road routes7 of 308 events
04Project considerations
Crossing location and pedestrian access
The concentration of crossings to the north is consistent with people seeking a more direct route between the northern parking area and the hospital. This is an interpretation of the site layout and observed paths: the videos did not establish individual trip origins, destinations or reasons for choosing a route. A direct northern crossing avoids the additional crossing of 9th Street required to reach the marked crosswalk.
Evaluation of the RRFB proposal should consider the walking routes from each parking area to the hospital entrance. The existing crossing approach also carried 62 automatic events. An improvement should therefore address the northern crossing demand while retaining convenient access for people approaching from the south.
Pavement markings and visibility
Advance yield markings are located north of SW 9th Street, upstream of the marked crosswalk. Their relationship to northern crossing activity warrants field review, including visibility and where approaching drivers yield or stop. This study did not measure driver responses or determine whether the markings affect crossing behavior.
Further engineering review
Further engineering review should evaluate how a more direct, accessible northern connection could be provided and how it would relate to the proposed RRFB. This review should assess whether people now crossing to the north would be likely to use an improvement at the existing location, given the walking route needed to reach it.
The review should also examine when and where drivers yield or stop in relation to pedestrians' crossing paths, together with traffic speeds, volumes and visibility. FHWA guidance provides a framework for evaluating site conditions and selecting an appropriate treatment. [1, 2] The purpose is to develop an improvement that people can conveniently reach and use; this study alone cannot predict RRFB use or its effect on safety.
05Methods and limitations
Camera observations
The study used two overlapping camera views of SW Washburn Avenue near SW 9th Street, beside Stormont Vail Hospital. Approximately 12.8 hours of usable daytime video recorded on 4 and 8 September 2026 were included. Footage was selected for visibility suitable for pedestrian review; the reported duration excludes unavailable or unsuitable footage.
The views covered the northern frontage and the existing marked crossing. A designated camera supplied the observations for each of these two areas so that overlapping coverage did not add duplicate records to the main categories. The combined coverage is illustrated in Figure 4. Observation time refers to the periods covered at the site, rather than the sum of the two cameras' recording durations.
Crossing definition and classification
A crossing was defined as a completed movement between broadly defined curb territories on opposite sides of Washburn. Automated pedestrian tracking identified these movements from the video. Movements that remained on the same side of Washburn were not included.
Each crossing was categorized by the pair of curb territories it connected. Figure 4 shows representative geometry for orientation; the illustrated boundaries are approximate.
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Unmarked northern crossing area | Between curb territories A and B, along the northern frontage north of SW 9th Street. |
| Marked crossing area | Between curb territories C and D, serving the marked crossing south of SW 9th Street. |
| Other cross-road routes | Across Washburn between opposite-side curb territories other than the A-B or C-D pairs. |
These categories describe broad crossing approaches. They do not establish whether a pedestrian walked within the painted crosswalk. Each completed movement was counted as an event, including repeat trips by the same person.
Manual validation and quality control
A manually reviewed sample provided a reference for checking the automated results. The comparison assessed whether the automated observations agreed with the manual observations on crossing count, category, direction and timing within the source video.
The automated results matched 115 of 119 eligible manual reference observations, giving 96.6% agreement within the reviewed sample. This measures agreement in that sample; it does not establish detection accuracy across all footage or the positional accuracy of the mapped paths. Manual observations were used for validation rather than to replace or supplement the automated counts.
Quality review identified one confirmed bicycle rider, which was excluded from the pedestrian results. The reported totals therefore contain 308 automated crossing events.
Mapping and interpretation limits
The maps show approximate straight-line fits to the recorded trajectories. Manual landmarks supported alignment with the site image. The figures include 306 supported paths; two events remain in the crossing totals without a plotted path. Positions and path widths are approximate and are not surveyed measurements.
The two main categories use their designated camera views. Records in the small other-routes category were not independently matched across cameras to confirm that each represents a separate movement.
The findings describe activity during the included observation periods, rather than typical daily demand or unique people. The videos did not establish individual trip origins, destinations or reasons for route choice. Vehicle speed, yielding, pedestrian waiting time and conflict severity were not measured; the study does not estimate crash risk or predict the safety effect or use of an RRFB.
06References and Supporting Examples
References
[1] Federal Highway Administration. Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations. FHWA-SA-17-072, July 2018 update. Publication and guide.
[2] Federal Highway Administration. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. FHWA-SA-21-053. Countermeasure guidance.
Companion Video Examples
These examples illustrate crossings at the marked location, north of it, and along another cross-road route. They provide visual context for the findings; they are not a prevalence sample and do not add events to the reported totals.
Crossings North of the Marked Location
Other Cross-Road Routes
A diagonal crossing between the northern west-side curb area and the east-side curb area south of 9th Street. Open video.
Companion Video Examples
These examples illustrate crossings at the marked location, north of it, and along another cross-road route. They provide visual context for the findings; they are not a prevalence sample and do not add events to the reported totals. View the companion video examples.