Thursday, February 10, 2011

This week on Foot

This week the Tri-State Transportation Campaign released its annual survey of the region's most menacing streets, so we learned that Broadway, Atlantic Ave Deadliest Roads for Pedestrians in NYC, while Ranking of N.J.'s most dangerous roads for pedestrians is topped by Route 130

Thankfully, NYC at least has some laws in place to try to address the issue of pedestrian safety, and this week NYPD Use New Law in Pedestrian Death on Madison Avenue . Less encouraging is a proposed New York law intended to make it illegal for pedestrians to use electronic devices while crossing the street, and it's making lots of people mad. As Streetsblog reports, Victim’s Mother Shames CBS2 for Using Traffic Death to Bolster Carl Kruger (the media coverage takes the all-too-typically "blame the pedestrian" stance...while failing to mention that the driver in this particular incident was the one breaking the law).

Meanwhile, over on this coast we've had our share of pedestrian deaths this week. In Escondido: Police seek help in pedestrian hit-and-run,  while a Pedestrian killed by vehicle outside Camarillo identified. Makes you kind of glad that Falling Costs Push Pedestrian Detection to a $17 Billion Market and Mean Greater Safety, According to ABI Research.

Elsewhere folks are doing better on the pedestrian safety front. In the tiny town of Chelan, WA a new Sign: Good for pedestrians, bad for Nixon businesses, while in Hawaii an Online program teaches students traffic safety . In North Carolina Planners, Engineers Tour Charlotte As Example Of Walkable City. Perhaps they're learning that Creating the Perfect City Is About Illusions, Such as Shorter Blocks . Just as long as the crosswalks aren't illusions...

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