Raised Intersections

Overview

Raised intersections bring an entire intersection from street level to sidewalk level. The roadway slopes on each side to meet the Intersection. Raised intersections improve visibility of pedestrians, reduce speeds, and eliminate ponding at curb ramps which are especially beneficial for people with mobility and vision impairments. Raised intersections may impact drainage and parking and are more expensive to build than raised crosswalks.

Benefitsraised intersections example

  • Effectively slows speeds
  • Improves visibility of pedestrians
  • Self-enforce parking restrictions at corners, improving sight lines
  • Maintains access
  • Preserves curb radius, accommodating emergency responders and other larger vehicles that need more space to make turns

Considerations

  • Impacts drainage system
  • Impacts emergency vehicle speeds
  • Must be signed and marked to give advance warning to drivers
  • May generate additional noise