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Entries tagged: Pedestrian Safety

Last week, America Walks released a document that represents its first steps toward making the United States a great place to be a pedestrian. For the national coalition, that journey will start with a strong presence in Washington, DC.

Based on the input of the organization’s steering committee and a group of 25 walking leaders, the new Federal Walking Policy Platform lays out three policy shifts that will make streets safer, healthier and more cost-effective for, not just walkers, but all roadway users.

• Core Policy 1: Improve pedestrian safety. To enhance walking safety, America Walks proposes changes to the Highway Safety Improvement Program and calls on the US DOT to “conduct a national campaign emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable road users… by reducing automobile speeds in high-crash corridors and special zones.”

• Core Policy 2: Develop performance measures and improve data collection related to walking. America Walks will push for performance measures and benchmarks for walking at the federal, state and local level; robust investments to collect and analyze walking trends, routes and issues; and traffic models that forecast and include the benefits of pedestrian travel in project planning.

• Core Policy 3: Incorporate health-related outcomes in transportation policy, planning and funding programs. America Walks will advocate for a clear, inter-agency alignment of health and transportation objectives, pushing for “public health criteria to be integrated into state and regional transportation planning and decision-making” and for federal agencies to set financial incentives for state DOTs to incorporate health planning in the development of new projects.

What do those broad goals mean for the near term? Most notably, America Walks will help lead the charge to protect dedicated federal funding for biking and walking programs, including Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. The national coalition will also strongly support federal complete streets legislation and a “Fix-It First” approach to transportation spending.

Inspired? Read the full document.

Have the resume to help? America Walks is seeking a Campaign Director to lead its efforts to get this platform implemented. Click here for the full job description.

Last week, we hosted a trio of top-notch advocates and agency staff on our Safe Routes for Seniors Mutual Aid Call.

For years, many Alliance organizations have worked on Safe Routes to School programs that encourage more kids to walk and bike to school. In 2003, advocates with Transportation Alternatives in New York City applied that concept to the aging population, launching their Safe Routes for Seniors initiative. The effort was the first program of its kind to address the unique needs of elderly pedestrians and consider the role of street design in maintaining good cardiovascular health in old age.

How did TA fund and win their campaign? How has the New York City Department of Transportation implemented and advanced the program as its own? How have advocates and partners outside the city limits built on the successes of NYC?

Learn more by:

• Listening to the call recording
• Downloading the call Tip Sheet
• Reviewing the host of new resources in our online library, including a host of reports from TA’s campaign

Thanks again to our incredible panelists for sharing their time and insight: Noah Budnick, deputy director for Transportation Alternatives, Ann Marie Doherty from the New York City Department of Transportation and Will Stoner with the New York state AARP.

If you’re working on Safe Routes for Seniors in your community and have resources to share, send them my way: Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

In the first week of October, two students at Carnell Elementary in Philadelphia were struck by cars in separate accidents. While neither student was severely injured, the events left community members and school officials shaken.

In response to the accidents, the school’s principal approached Safe Routes Philly — a program of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia — for support creating a school-wide focus on pedestrian safety. Within a few days, all 1,600 Carnell Elementary students had attended one of seven interactive assemblies conducted by Safe Routes Philly on various aspects of pedestrian safety. The assemblies included call-and-response songs and videos demonstrating safe walking and biking behavior.

According to Safe Routes Philly, “Carnell’s response to two accidents in its community will help prevent future accidents, and reflects the importance of a school administration which cares how students get to and from school.”

Biking and walking to school provides daily exercise to students and fosters a sense of school community. However, it’s important that students understand the safety measures necessary to protect against accidents and injuries.

Interested in Safe Routes Philly? Learn more from Diana Owens, the program’s Assistant Director of Education, on the recent Alliance Mutual Aid Call on “Winning Local Policies for Safe Routes to School.” Stay up-to-date by subscribing to the BCGP blog.

By Brighid O’Keane

Pedestrian advocacy efforts led by Walk San Francisco resulted in a win this last week, when San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced a reduction in the city’s school zone speed limit to 15 miles per hour.

The previous school limit of 25 miles per hour was reduced by 10 mph this past week, leading to safer streets for children and pedestrians. Starting with Peabody Elementary in San Francisco’s western Richmond District, the change will be in affect at all – more than 200 – city schools this fall.

“These safe speed zones have been a major goal for Walk SF and its members,” Elizabeth Stampe, Walk San Francisco’s Executive Director, said in the group’s press release. “They will help create a more safe and sustainable city, helping kids get to school safely and calming traffic in neighborhoods throughout the City. This is a big step forward for everyone who walks in San Francisco.”

As the first city to adopt the 15 mph zones, San Francisco residents can thank the members of Walk SF for their effective campaigning toward calming traffic throughout the city for all pedestrians.

Read the full press release here.

Photo: Elizabeth Stampe speaks at the press event announcing the speed limit reduction. (Streetsblog San Francisco)

Last week, advocates at Transportation Alternatives turned the spotlight on a stunning fact: Over the past 10 years, more New Yorkers have been killed by traffic than murdered by guns.

This crime against city residents is outlined in Vision Zero: How Safer Streets in New York City Can Save More Than 100 Lives a Year, a report from T.A. and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy. According to the analysis, traffic violence takes the life of a New Yorker every 35 hours, with an average of 317 fatalities and 3,774 serious injuries per year.

“New York’s streets are downright deadly,” Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, said in a press release about the report. “Though the city has made impressive strides in recent years to reduce traffic fatalities, traffic violence still claims the lives of hundreds of New Yorkers every year and seriously injures thousands more: over 70,000 people every year. Any number higher than zero is simply unacceptable. It’s time to challenge the culture of acceptance that acts like traffic is as uncontrollable as weather, and get serious about saving lives.”

The report commends recent improvements to the city’s streets — like bike lanes, curb extensions, speed bumps and narrower intersections — which have helped reduce fatalities. But that progress is just the first step in a much longer journey to catch up with leading cities, like Berlin, Paris and Stockholm. Those models, the advocates explain, provide a road map for saving lives. “If New York’s traffic fatality rate were the same as Stockholm’s, for instance, there would have been 1,195 fewer traffic fatalities between 2001 and 2007,” the authors’ point out. “If the rate were the same as Berlin’s, 1,426 live would have been saved. Thousands of life-altering injuries would also have been avoided.”

But the report isn’t just an outline of infrastructure recommendations. To truly transform the transportation system, the city must directly confront the deadly culture of acceptance — the notion that “accidents” are unavoidable. “New Yorkers must understand the human costs and the ethical implications of traffic crashes,” the report emphasizes. “Otherwise it will be difficult to gain the political support necessary to implement changes to the streetscape.”

That’s where T.A.‘s exciting, new campaign — Vision Zero — comes in.

“The release of the report kicks off a robust street safety campaign called Vision Zero,” the advocates announced last week. “Vision Zero means zero deaths, zero injuries and zero fear of traffic. The Vision Zero campaign will directly target one of the largest obstacles to street safety: the culture of acceptance. By educating New Yorkers and policymakers on the scope of the danger, as well as challenging the unspoken assumption that traffic violence is unavoidable, Transportation Alternatives will build momentum and support for real solutions. To that end, T.A. will continue to release reports and hold events highlighting the dangers of traffic violence. T.A. will also work with community partners and public officials to deploy the policies recommended by the Vision Zero report to reduce these dangers, with the goal of eliminating them completely.”

Click here to download the report.

Illegal driving habits, including red light running, speeding and illegal right turns on red put bicyclists and pedestrians in danger every day. These risky and irresponsible behaviors contributed to more than 4,090 pedestrian and 630 cyclist fatalities in 2009, amounting to 12 percent of all traffic fatalities.

To help prevent further tragedies, the Alliance has joined the Traffic Safety Coalition as one of 42 partners working to create a safer environment on our roads for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

“The Alliance is committed to making our roads safer for pedestrians and bicyclists,” Jeff Miller, Alliance President / CEO, says. “Through education and advocacy, we are working to support sound traffic safety policies and technology – such as traffic safety cameras – to make our roads safer.”

The TFC is a nonprofit, grassroots organization comprised of concerned citizens, traffic safety experts, law enforcement, public officials, victims’ advocates, health care professionals, and industry leaders working to promote technology and education programs that save lives and keep our roads safe. Current TSC campaigns include “Respect Red,” which targets intersection safety to prevent and deter red light running, and “Slow Down,” which aims to reduce the number of fatal crashes caused by chronic speeding.

“Pedestrians and cyclists are too often the innocent victims of red light running and speeding,” say Sue and Paul Oberhauser, co-chairs of the Traffic Safety Coalition. “We’re eager to work with the Alliance and other pedestrian and bicyclist advocates to educate the public about the importance of safe driving habits and provide law enforcement and cities with the ability to enforce critical traffic safety laws.”

Already a number of Alliance member organizations are part of this important effort, including Consider Biking, the Active Transportation Alliance, League of Illinois Bicyclists and New Orleans Metro Bicycle Coalition. Find out more and get involved at www.trafficsafetycoalition.com.

The Active Transportation Alliance has a busy legislative agenda this spring. Active Trans is currently focusing on lobbying Senators to co-sponsor HB 43. According to Active Trans, “This bill will change Illinois law to require drivers of cars to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, rather than yield. HB 43 will clarify Illinois law and help drivers and pedestrians reduce Illinois’ high pedestrian crash rates.”

For more information, click here…