Pedestrian Crossings and Safety on Four Anishinaabe Reservations in Minnesota

Status: Complete
Report Date: 11/12/2020

Summary:

While MnDOT’s responsibility to address the needs and safety of nonmotorized travelers—bicyclists and pedestrians—takes many forms in programs and projects, the safety of rural pedestrians has attracted closer scrutiny. Minnesota Walks is a collaboration between MnDOT and the Minnesota Department of Health. Its goal is assuring safe, attractive and convenient places for people to walk. It identified Native Americans as one of six priority state populations who are more likely to walk in their daily lives. The Advocacy Council for Tribal Transportation (ACTT), representing the tribes, conveyed five tribes’ interest in participating in a MnDOT project that would examine pedestrian behavior and risks on reservations. They identified reservation locations where pedestrian behavior studies could address safety concerns. Researchers collected video data at 10 problematic roadway sites across four reservations and, in close collaboration with tribal members and others, determined potential countermeasures that could mitigate pedestrian risk at the sites.

Final Deliverables:

Related Materials:

Understanding Rural Pedestrian Travel Behavior and Safety Issues - (Blog Post)
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe: HAWK Crosswalk Demo - (Video/Webinar)