Editing Pedestrian crossing (section)

==Lighting==
[[File:Crosswalk, with built-in lighting..JPG|thumb|Crosswalk with overhead lighting, and internally illuminated overhead crosswalk signs in Germany]]
There are two types of crosswalk lights: those that illuminate the whole crosswalk area, and warning lights.<ref>Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. American National Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting. Publication IESNA-RP-8-00. Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, New York, 2000.</ref> Both these lighting systems encourage oncoming traffic to yield for pedestrians only if necessary.

The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America currently provides engineering design standards for highway lighting. In the US, in conventional intersections, area lighting is typically provided by pole-mounted luminaires.<ref>Hasson, P., P. Lutkevich, B. Ananthanarayanan, P. Watson, and R. Knoblauch. Field Test for Lighting to Improve Safety at Pedestrian Crosswalks. Presented at the 16th Biennial Transportation Research Board Visibility Symposium, Iowa City, Ia., 2002.</ref> These systems illuminate the crosswalk as well as surrounding areas, and do not always provide enough contrast between the pedestrian and his or her background.

There have been many efforts to create lighting scenarios that offer better nighttime illumination in crosswalks. Some innovative concepts include:

===Illuminating lights===
* [[Bollard]] posts containing linear light sources inside. These posts have been shown to sufficiently illuminate the pedestrian but not the background, consequently increasing contrast and improving pedestrian visibility and detection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.utrc2.org/publications/crosswalk-demonstration-project-design-and-evaluation-effective-crosswalk-illumination|title=Crosswalk Demonstration Project: Design and Evaluation of Effective Crosswalk Illumination &#124; University Transportation Research Center|website=www.utrc2.org}}</ref> Although this method shows promise in being incorporated into crosswalk lighting standards, more studies need to be done.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/resources/newsroom/pr_story.asp?id=180 |title=Press Releases - LRC Newsroom |access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref><ref>Bullough, J.D., X. Zhang, N.P. Skinner, and M.S. Rea. Design and Evaluation of Effective Crosswalk Lighting. Publication FHWA-NJ-2009-03. New Jersey Department of Transportation, Trenton, NJ, 2009.</ref>
* Festooned strings of light over the top of the crosswalk.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.toxel.com/tech/2009/12/15/illuminated-air-crosswalk-concept/|title=Illuminated Air Crosswalk Concept|website=www.toxel.com}}</ref>

===Warning lights===
To warn the oncoming traffic, these warning lights usually only rapidly flash when a pedestrian presses a button to use the crosswalk.
* In-pavement lighting oriented to face oncoming traffic ([[Embedded pavement flashing-light system]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkinginfo.org/pedsmart/tlite.htm |title=Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center |access-date=9 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202062227/http://www.walkinginfo.org/pedsmart/tlite.htm |archive-date=2 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In-pavement, flashing warning lights oriented upwards (especially visible to children, the [[short stature|short-statured]], and [[smombie]]s)<ref>{{citation |title=German traffic light for smartphone zombies |date=29 April 2016 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/29/always-practise-safe-text-the-german-traffic-light-for-smartphone-zombies}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://xwalk.com/|title=Crosswalk Lights, Pedestrian Crossing Signs|website=Traffic Safety Corp.}}</ref>
* Pole-mounted, flashing warning lights (mounted similar to a traffic signal).
*Pedestrian warning signs enhanced with LED lights either within the sign face<ref>[https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/49231 Embedded LEDs in Signs], Federal highway Administration, May 2009</ref> or underneath it.<ref>Van Houten, Ron and & Malenfant, J.E. Louis, [https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interim_approval/ia11/stpetersburgrpt/index.htm Efficacy of Rectangular-shaped Rapid Flash LED Beacons], Retrieved 25 March 2011</ref><ref>[https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo59261 Impacts of LED Brightness, Flash Pattern, and Location for Illuminated Pedestrian Traffic Control Device], Federal Highway Administration, May 2015</ref>

In areas with heavy snowfall, using in-pavement lighting can be problematic, since snow can obscure the lights, and snowplows can damage them.