'Safe opening' in playground fence - min. distance from intersection?

[CdnEngnr]

I have a design for a fenced playground adjascent to two perpendicular roadways. There are 1.5m sidewalks along both roadways. Where should a 'safe opening' (entrance to playground) in the fence be located? Away from the intersection of the two roadways? The community is thinking they want to have the opening right at the intersection (at the SE corner of the playground), but I am thinking there should be a minimum recommended distance from the intersection to have the opening/entrance? Wouldn't an entrance right at the corner/intersection be distracting to drivers and risky for children? Or is it OK? If the entrance was xx meters north of the intersection would it be safer? Or would it be less safe, and encourage j-walking, rather than crossing at the intersection? There will be a trail from the fence opening/entrance that leads into the heart of the playground. Thanks!

 

[hokie66]

I am no expert on this, and can quote no standards, but I would vote with the community for having the entrance at the intersection. Make it an obvious portal with big signs, etc. That way, drivers will get the sense that they need to be cautious. Children will be directed to cross at the intersection rather than somewhere else.

 

[Ron]

Check ASTM F2049...it is a standard for fencing for playgrounds....it might provide some locational guidance for the gates.

One of the primary purposes of playground fencing is to restrict access along public thoroughfares. If there is any way to do so, I would keep the gates away from street access and put them at other locations. If that's not possible, I would move them off the intersection for safety purposes (traffic is obviously concentrated there, accidents occur there, turning motions abound, etc.)

 

[Debaser]

CdnEngnr

What are the observed speeds on the two roads approaching the junction, and what sort of control is there (signals/priority give-way)? Is this a built-up residential area?

In terms of minimising conflicts I'm thinking there are essentially two approaches to this;

1) Allow pedestrians a degree of freedom, have the playground entrance at the corner on the intersection, but constrain the speeds of vehicles, perhaps have a raised junction.
2) Allow drivers to keep priority, but constrain pedestrian movements. On exiting the playground at the corner, break up the visibility/desire line with a guardrail or planting, such that peds are directed to 'proper' crossings either at the junction or several metres away on each arm (always remember those desire lines though).

I would perhaps come up with a couple of options based on giving priority to each user (drivers or pedestrians) and go back to the community and local authority and see how radical they are willing to be. Potentially you could make something much more pedestrian and particularly child friendly, but at a cost, is anyone willing to bear that cost?

Is it possible to give a GoogleEarth location or is this a sensitive project?

Cheers.