BYU student study finds high pedestrian and micro‑mobility activity on Provo’s 800 North; city to run warrant analysis at 200 East

BYU public‑health students presented findings to the Provo Transportation & Mobility Advisory Committee showing concentrated pedestrian and micro‑mobility volumes and repeated unsafe interactions along the 800 North corridor, particularly at 200 East. The students collected video at seven intersections over two three‑day periods (72 hours total) and coded pedestrian, cyclist and micro‑mobility behavior to identify problem locations and common conflict patterns.

The students said 200 East “far surpassed” other locations in pedestrian and cyclist activity and in recorded near misses, and described five recurring unsafe trends: (1) vehicles committing left turns into crosswalks while pedestrians are present; (2) cars inching forward and darting through gaps in peak periods; (3) faster, riskier vehicle behavior off peak when pedestrians are distracted; (4) cyclists approaching at speed and encountering poor visibility near ramps and retaining walls; and (5) dim lighting at several crossings that reduces nighttime visibility. The presenters defined a near miss for the study as “a vehicle passes within 3 feet of a pedestrian or a really unsafe maneuver within the crosswalk.”

Students summarized engineering and policy recommendations: install or prioritize traffic signals at high‑volume locations (700 East is already planned and the team recommended adding one at 200 East), consider a pedestrian 'scramble' (an all‑pedestrian phase) at the busiest intersection, improve street lighting at the darkest blocks (notably near 340 East and other locations flagged in the videos), add or relocate pedestrian beacons at additional crossings, and streamline Provo Police's online incident‑reporting form (timeout and license‑plate/VIN requirements were reported to impede accurate reporting).

City staff told the committee they will run a warrant analysis for 200 East and that design work for a signal at nearby 7th East is already underway; staff said their "gut feel" is that a scramble phase may be needed at 200 East but that pedestrian storage and curb reconfiguration could be a design challenge. Members and staff discussed collaborating with BYU on visibility and ramp treatments and noted that any physical changes will require further design and interagency coordination.

The committee did not take a formal vote on any engineering measures at the meeting; staff said the warrant analysis and design work will inform next steps and future TMAC discussion.