Leading Pedestrian Intervals - What are they?
- Rami Stucky
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
29th and Oliver: A perfect place for a Leading Pedestrian Interval.
This is 29th and Oliver looking north in Wichita, KS. On February 16, 2026, a pedestrian who lives in an apartment complex nearby was walking her dog on the north side of 29th Street, headed west. The walk signal came on, and she began to cross Oliver.
Meanwhile, an Acura RDX SUV was also headed west on 29th. The driver arrived at the intersection. Then made a right turn to head north on Oliver. However, they did not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk, hit the pedestrian with the front right fender, and ran over the dog’s paw.
There is an engineering design decision that could have prevented this crash. Currently, the walk sign illuminates simultaneously with the westbound green light on 29th. And because the intersection is a T, pedestrians are instructed to cross while drivers are instructed to turn.
To mitigate this problem, pedestrians could be given time to cross the crosswalk before the light turns green.
This is called a leading pedestrian interval, or LPI, and several intersections in Wichita already have them. In fact, one, at Douglas and Rock Island, does even better than an LPI. While the walk sign is on, drivers on Rock Island who intend to go westbound on Douglas receive an explicit “no-right turn” sign. Only after the walk sign turns off can drivers make a right turn.
LPIs are shown by the Federal Highway Administration to reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes by 13 percent. And an LPI, or even a no right turn sign, would be a welcome addition to this intersection at 29th and Oliver.
Check back in to hear more about right turns on reds and as always, Look, See, and Save.
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