This Week on Foot

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The big news this week comes from Walk Score, which answers the question How car-centric is your city? Public transit ranked by the site, with cities like New York and San Francisco scoring big, although LA finished a respectable 11th.

This week also brings much debate over urban form. It's the A second act for the walkable neighborhood as Walkable cities poised to eclipse suburbs, but at least one person argues that ‘Evil’ suburbs deserve more respect.

Some people who don't deserve more respect are drivers in Bangalore, where a new Survey finds Bangalore has India’s worst-behaved motorists. Looks like they are behaving that well in North Carolina either, where Pedestrian deaths on the rise in the Palmetto State. Maybe that's why Pedestrians need a head start at intersections, health chief says. And if that sounds confusing, the Traffic light for pedestrian safety explained in Las Vegas, a city not known for pedestrian safety.

Elsewhere in the country Interstate 17 pedestrian bridge needs flair, some say in Arizona, and in the Seattle area Highland Park Elementary gets $25,000 for child pedestrian safety, and there's a New Approach to Dallas Streets Moves Forward at City Hall.

Back in California, there's a new Report: Federal bike and pedestrian plan a success in Marin , while we learn Where the Sausalito sidewalk ends: A walkers’ paradise? Probably not, but at least Covina moves toward improving pedestrian safety at Metrolink Station. And it's a good thing they are, since it might help address the poor Urban Air Quality Could be Making Children Obese.

Speaking of kids, this week we learn Why Millennials will not buy these 8 products in the future (one of them is a car), and What street hockey can teach us about livable streets.

Finally, in a pedestrian advocacy move after my own heart, Volunteers trek beer From SODO to Green Lake to promote neighborhood walkability . LA Walks, interested in an Angeleno version?

Visualizing Pedestrian Crashes

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A nice (or maybe not-so-nice) summary of pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the US.

California Car Accident Lawyer

Cool Ped Stuff #21: Walk with a Doc

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Photo courtesy of walkwithadoc.org

Created in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir,  Walk with a Doc aims to "encourage healthy physical activity in people of all ages, and reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle in order to improve the health and well-being of the country." The idea is simple: each weekend people meet at a set location for a short walk with a local physician. Not only does it promote physical activity, it also provides an informal way for people to talk with a doctor about their medical concerns. Check out the list of locations to find out if there's a walk happening near you.

A New Day, A New Blog Design

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Thanks to Ironwood Design Studio for the new look!

Sing Your Heart Out for Your Feet

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Join LA Walks this Saturday from 7pm to 11pm at Atwater Crossing for a fundraiser to support pedestrian advocacy in our fair city. More information and tickets available here.

Pedestrian-Friendly Research

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Vehicle Speed Impacts of Occasional Hazard (Playground) Warning Signs
The main objective of this study was to estimate the speed impact of occasional hazard (playground) warning (OHPW) signs along residential streets. Three types of data were collected at each of three study sites approximately one month before and one week to one month after the installation of a pair of OHPW signs. Vehicle speed data were collected with a pneumatic tube device. Manual observations were recorded, and focused on the magnitude and location of the on-street parking and park and/or playground activities occurring at the study sites. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate the change in mean vehicle speed associated with the presence of the OHPW signs, while controlling for the effects due to activity levels on the streets and the playgrounds. At one site the OHPW sign had no discernible effect on mean vehicle speeds, while at the other two sites mean vehicle speeds decreased by 1.5 mph and 0.9 mph following installation of the OHPW signs.

Evaluation of Alternative Pedestrian Control Devices

A literature review, field study of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) installations in Oregon, and a static survey on the sequencing of the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB)/High Intensity Activated Crosswalk Signal System (HAWK) were completed as part of this study.

The field study conducted in this project was designed to compare side and overhead-mounted beacons and RRFBs. The field study results indicated that the environment surrounding the crossing has an impact on compliance and that the presence of a median can increase compliance.

The PHB study verified that drivers are confused about what these devices are and how they operate. For the first deployment of a PHB in an area, a public education program is recommended during the early deployment of the PHB.

The study includes guidelines for installation for each of these devices. The major recommendation is that RRFBs be installed on medians when side-mounted devices are considered and at locations with posted speeds of 40 mph or less unless additional features such as stripping, signing, and advance warning RRFBs are used.

Effect of Changes to the Neighborhood Built Environment on Physical Activity in a Low-Income African American Neighborhood
The authors  examined how changes in the built environment affected residents’ physical activity levels in a low-income, primarily African American neighborhood in New Orleans. The researchers built a 6-block walking path and installed a school playground in an intervention neighborhood. They measured physical activity levels in this neighborhood and in 2 matched comparison neighborhoods by self-report, using door-to-door surveys, and by direct observations of neighborhood residents outside before (2006) and after (2008) the interventions.

Neighborhoods were comparable at baseline in demographic composition, choice of physical activity locations, and percentage of residents who participated in physical activity. Self-reported physical activity increased over time in most neighborhoods. The proportion of residents observed who were active increased significantly in the section of the intervention neighborhood with the path compared with comparison neighborhoods. Among residents who were observed engaging in physical activity, 41% were moderately to vigorously active in the section of the intervention neighborhood with the path compared with 24% and 38% in the comparison neighborhoods at the postintervention measurement. This analysis shows that changes to the built environment may increase neighborhood physical activity in low-income, African American neighborhoods.

**And if all those weren't enough, TRB has posted a whole trove of "practice-ready papers"

• The Impact of Traffic Lights on Dangerous Pedestrian Crossings and Violations: a Case Study in Montreal
• Creating Safer Mid-Block Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing Environments: The Zig-Zag Pavement Marking Experiment
• Pedestrian Infrastructure on the Public Right-of-Way: Aging Pedestrians and Prioritizing Sidewalk Hazards Using the Ultra Light Inertial Profiler (ULIP)
• Evaluation of the Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon At A Pinellas Trail Crossing In St. Petersburg, Florida
• The Relative Effectiveness of Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures at Urban Intersections: Lessons from a New York City Experience
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Infrastructure-based Countermeasures on Pedestrian Safety
• How Common Is Pedestrian Travel To, From, and Within Shopping Districts?

This week on foot

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It's been a dismal week for pedestrians in LA, where Pedestrian killed in East Hollywood; driver sought by police and a Pedestrian Hit by Car on Echo Park Avenue Has Died. That's why we're Seeking Pedestrian Advocates in L.A., Where People Actually Do Walk! Just not very safely...

Speaking of pedestrian safety, this week Pedestrian safety takes focus at community round table in Las Vegas, while Hundreds Of Magnets A Key To Pedestrian Safety Plan in Ridgewood, NJ. Meanwhile in Florida they're wondering, is Blanding Boulevard too dangerous for pedestrians? If it is, it's not the only dangerous street. Across the country Oregon Pedestrian Deaths Soar; Reminders Given, even as a Pedestrian mall project moves forward. I guess if you want to Think Pedestrian - and Save Lives  you need Hundreds Of Magnets A Key To Pedestrian Safety Plan.

But even as people in San Francisco are complaining that Rare pedestrian deaths exploited by bicycle foes  , and they're wondering How Walkable is Washington? the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Announces Latest Round of Walk Friendly Communities. Why does this stuff matter? Well for one, Where You Live Could Make Your Kids Fat. And if that doesn't convince you, here's A Data-Driven Case for Walkability.

CicLAvia This Weekend

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Don't forget the latest installment of CicLAvia this Sunday. Get the route and all the details here.

Become a PreventObesity.net Leader

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PreventObesity.net is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides free communication, promotion and assistance to registered Leaders working in the childhood obesity movement,  especially in communities at highest risk for obesity. Some of the tools offered to Leaders include:

• A weekly insider alert newsletter
• Ability to organize PreventObesity.net supporters in your community and 70,000 nationally
• Access to the Map of the Movement, showing other activists in your area
• Blogger outreach analysis and webinar hosting

 Leaders are professionals or volunteers who are actively working to change policies and environments to help children eat better and be more active. They must be focused on changing policies and environments, and organizing others/contributing to organizing efforts. Leaders should be working on one of PreventObesity.net's six issue areas:

• Ensure foods and beverages in schools meet dietary guidelines
• Expand community access to high quality food
• Expand physical activity programs in and out of school
• Improve built environment in communities to increase physical activity
• Use pricing strategies to promote purchase of healthier foods
• Use regulation/policy to reduce youth exposure to unhealthy food marketing

If this describes you, register as a Leader here for free.  

How We Walk

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This week Slate Magazine features a four-part series on walking by Traffic/How We Drive author Tom Vanderbilt. It's full of interesting details about the science of walking (e.g. people walking up escalators instinctively sway--even when the escalator is broken) and insights into why Americans don't walk more:

"...in an America enraptured by the cultural prosthesis that is the automobile, walking has become a lost mode, perceived as not a legitimate way to travel but a necessary adjunct to one’s car journey, a hobby, or something that people without cars—those pitiable “vulnerable road users,” as they are called with charitable condescension—do. To decry these facts—to examine, as I will in this series, how Americans might start walking more again— may seem like a hopelessly retrograde, romantic exercise: nostalgia for Thoreau’s woodland ambles. But the need is urgent. The decline of walking has become a full-blown public health nightmare."

Extreme Walks: Greek Edition

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From the always-creative Greeks, a new advocacy video that has been making the rounds. Enjoy!

This Week on Foot

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As usual, the pedestrian world has been active in the past two weeks. First, the bad news: here in LA,
Red-light scofflaws will catch a break as the City turns off its red-light cameras. And that's not the only challenge pedestrians have been facing. A Phone booth blocks pedestrians from busy Brooklyn intersection, a Metrolink train kills pedestrian in Ventura County, and SI Crosswalks in Need of Improvement.  Yes, all over the country Pedestrians Yield For Cars, Hope They Don’t Get Hit. It would appear Few US cities prepared for aging baby boomers--or even their younger pedestrian counterparts.

But pedestrians, don't despair. Plenty of people are Speaking up for pedestrians. In one city Street markings placed for pedestrians safety, Rapid City's New signs aim to make pedestrian crossings safer, and Chamblee uses streetscape project to make city more pedestrian friendly. The 2012 Florida Legislature Helps Bicyclists and Pedestrians and Artists bring life to empty storefronts.There's even some help from Technology: Making a safer path for pedestrians.And at the national level, From Minnesota to Mississippi, America Tells Congress to Preserve Bike-Ped Funding, like in thisGuest commentary: Transportation bill must keep local communities in mind. Sure, It's hard to make Harford bike and pedestrian friendly, but Adopting a corner a simple way to keep street safer. And don't forget How Walkable Streets Can Reduce Crime. 

It's been a week of police stings, as Police ticket pedestrians, drivers in North Hollywood crosswalk sting and Jaywalking, speeding targeted by police in pedestrian-safety mission. Of course, one mayor took a more creative approach to pedestrian safety: this Texting lane just for laughs, but issue serious. And speaking of serious issues, you can learn about S.F. bicyclist involved in fatal collision discusses incident online. It shows just how important it is to create Complete Streets: Designing Roadways for the Benefit of All--cyclists and pedestrians.

Decisionmakers in the Los Angeles region seem to understand that, as this week SCAG adopted a RTP/SCS touted far and wide for its commitment to alternative transportation. “This Plan Will Make Air Pollution a Relic of Our History”  some claim. Time will tell if that's true, but at least SCAG seems to be a little more forward-thinking than leaders in Imperial Beach, where  Pedestrian Scale Lighting With Solar Panels Shot Down by City Council

Finally this week we learn How Local Transportation Decisions Can Put Public Health Front and Center, and are reminded that A Picture Worth 1,000 Arguments for More Walkable Streets.

Let's argue for more walkable streets, shall we?

Lessons from SCAG's Complete Streets Training

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Last week SCAG offered a full day of training on implementing Complete Streets, courtesy of its Compass Blueprint Toolbox Tuesdays program. Here are a few of the key lessons and resources from the training. You can download copies of the training materials here.

Incorporate all users into street designs

AB 1358 (the California Complete Streets Act) requires jurisdictions to incorporate complete streets into the Circulation Element of their General Plans as they are updated, but does not provide specifics as to how this should be accomplished. The training identified four steps to implementing Complete Streets:

1.       Adopt a general Complete Streets policy
2.       Identify a project/coordination team that can implement new regulations
3.       Develop pilot programs to create and refine detailed Complete Streets design criteria
4.       Review criteria and amend based on results of pilot programs

Complete streets should accommodate all roadway users, including vehicles, transit, bikes, and pedestrians, paying particular attention to those with reduced mobility (e.g. people in wheelchairs) and vulnerable users (bikes and peds). Complete streets should also incorporate stormwater best management practices like bioswales where possible.  

Complete streets generally do cost more to plan, and require more coordination between local agencies (planning, engineering/public works, fire) and the public. For example, a project like the Allision Avenue Streetscape Plan would cost as much as $150,000 to design and another $1.3 million to construct for about 3,000 ft of roadway.

Examples:
Dallas Complete Streets Manual
San Ysidro Community Plan Update
Allison Avenue Streetscape Plan (La Mesa, CA)
Ocean Park Boulevard (Santa Monica, CA)
Mission Avenue (Oceanside, CA)

Design streets based on function, not “classification

In the past streets have been constructed according to a one-size-fits-all hierarchy (e.g. major arterials, collector streets, local streets) using generic street design standards that were applied to all roadways regardless of purpose. These standard designs, which remain in place in many jurisdictions, lead to over-engineered streets with wide travel lanes and inadequate facilities for non-motorized users. They also fail to take into consideration the purpose and neighborhood context of a particular roadway, ignoring the fact that some roads are, to use a term from the training, “destination roadways,” and not roads intended to move as many people as rapidly as possible.

It's National Walking Day

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photo courtesy of the San Diego Union-Tribune

The American Heart Association has declared today National Walking Day, and is encouraging everyone who's able to walk to work. Since I think my 90-mile commute would be a little challenging on foot, I'm planning a daytime walk around my office. You can read about one intrepid San Diego walker's efforts to make it to and from her job in one piece here.

Leaving No Stone Unturned: Tips and Tricks for Funding Your SRTS Program

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Another great webinar from SRTS and America Walks:
Tuesday, April 24 10:00 AM PDT

One of the greatest challenges that Safe Routes to School organizers face is obtaining funding for their programs. Whether it is for small incentives for the students, healthy snacks for walk or bike to school days, flyers and advertisements for events, or eventually hiring a staff member, finding funding is an important part growing your program. Unfortunately, it can often seem like a daunting task.

In this sixty minute webinar, we will help make fundraising for your SRTS program less intimidating by providing tips and tricks on where to find funding an how to go about obtaining it. First, Scott Bricker, Executive Director of America Walks will provide an overview of the issues surrounding fundraising and advice on how to hash out your goals and objectives. Next, Ian Thomas, Executive Director of the PedNet Coalition, will go into an in-depth discussion of what type of budget your program may need, potential sources of funds, and tips for successfully raising money from those sources. Finally, Kathy Smith, a Program Officer from the Partners for Health Foundation, will provide a Foundation's perspective on grant applicants and provide tips on how you can "look" ready for funding.

Register here.

Pedestrians: Not Quite Equal in the Eyes of the Law

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During a recent crosswalk sting here in the San Fernando Valley, police issued over a dozen tickets to pedestrians for violations that included starting to cross a street when a red hand was flashing. As one officer on the scene explained it, "The red hand works for two reasons: to basically safeguard the pedestrian and allow the traffic to start moving."

That got me wondering why (at least here in California) we allow drivers to speed through yellow lights, but refuse to extend the same privilege to pedestrians. Here's language in the CA Vehicle Code:

"A driver facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter."

However, when the flashing "Don't Walk" or red hand signal is shown, "No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of the signal."

Notice that while a yellow light is just a warning to drivers, and doesn't prohibit them from entering an intersection, a flashing red hand means a pedestrian can't even start to cross--even a really speedy one, who knows they can make it across the intersection in plenty of time.

While some might argue that this is to protect pedestrians, I have to suspect (particularly given the statement of the police officer above) that the law is written this way to make sure those pesky pedestrians don't interfere too much with drivers who want to make right turns on red. If we really care about promoting alternative transportation modes at the same level of driving, we're going to have to examine laws like these that subtly bias the transportation system against pedestrians.

DOT Driver Distraction Guidelines

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Photo courtesy of USDOT

A little over a month ago the DOT released its draft guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices. The guidelines, which are voluntary for now, include several key recommendations:

1. Prohibit certain tasks while driving, including displaying images or video not related to driving; displaying automatically scrolling text; requiring manual text entry of more than six button or key presses during a single task; or requiring reading more than 30 characters of text (not counting punctuation marks).

2. Design devices so that tasks can be completed by the driver while driving with glances away from the roadway of 2 seconds or less and a cumulative time spent glancing away from the roadway of 12 seconds or less.

3. Design devices so that functions designed to be performed by the driver through visual-manual means should require no more than one of the driver’s hands to operate.

4. Locate devices as close as practicable to the driver’s forward line of sight and include a specific recommendation for the maximum downward viewing angle to the geometric center of each display.

Is this enough to keep us safe on the roads? Given that a key problem with in-vehicle devices is cognitive distaction, not visual distraction, these guidelines might not go far enough. Personally, I've given up many in-vehicle distractions (like talking on my cell phone--even hands free), regardless of what the law tells me I can or can't do.

Tell the DOT what you think of their proposed rules by following the instructions here.  

This Week on Foot

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This week has been busy on the legislative front, as the House to introduce three-month highway bill extension and SCAG Transportation Committee Meets to Discuss Regional Plan One Last Time. Promoting all transportation modes is an important part of that plan, and we need all the help with that we can get here in LA, where It’s Not Easy Being Green: Sunset Triangle Plaza Edition. Maybe we should all go listen when Matt Tomasulo Speaks On Guerrilla Urbanism At City Share March 28? (Too bad it's not in LA).

Elsewhere in the country, San Rafael police say pedestrian at fault for crash that killed him , 'Darlington is not pedestrian friendly', and Montgomery continues "pedestrian removal" in Wheaton. But it's not all bad news: Seminole County project seeks pedestrian safety and in Virginia there are New pedestrian crosswalk signs to be installed. In the Northwest Residents Question Parking, Pedestrian Access at Northgate Light Rail Station, and Bowmanville seniors demand pedestrian crosswalk to address safety in their neighborhood. Sadly, it's too late for thePedestrian Expert Killed Crossing St. Louis Street A Decade Ago, but we can remember her and work to promote the cause she believed in.

On a lighter note, basketball fans can try Deciding the Sweet Sixteen by Walk Score. But what if it's fuel, not playoffs, that you're thinking about this month? Concerned about gas prices? Demand Complete Streets  And while you're thinking about that, maybe you can decide: Does Ticketing Drivers Make Pedestrians Safer?

If that's too much of a conundrum for you, take heart--at least this week we've learned Why People in Cities Walk Fast. Oh, the places we go (within walking distance)...

Crosswalks and Crashes: What we DO know

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Adam Choit's short film about his attempts to get a crosswalk on Sunset Boulevard, and the LA DOT's subsequent response, have reminded us once again how easy it is for traffic engineers, policymakers, and others to blithely cite "studies" proving how dangerous marked crosswalks are without technically, to use a scientific phrase, "having the slightest clue what they are talking about."

Happily, a recent publication from the Oregon DOT includes a nice summary--with citations--of the latest research on crosswalks, pedestrian crashes, and what the research really shows:

• Research with data from over 1000 marked crosswalks and 1000 unmarked crosswalks concluded that no meaningful differences in crash risk exists between marked and unmarked crosswalks (Zeeger et al. 2005)
• Another study at six crossings of varying lane width and speed limits between 25 and 30 mph found that marked crosswalks improved driver yielding rates (Mitman et al. 2008)
• Longer crossing distances and crossings with more lanes can be more dangerous than narrower crossings (Baltes and Chu 2002; Petritsch et al. 2005; Zeeger et al. 2005; Zeeger et al. 2006; Harwood et al. 2008)
• Right-turn only lanes are positively associated with an increase in crash rates (Petritsch et al. 2005; Schneider et al. 2010)
• Crash rates increase with higher speed limits at uncontrolled crossings (Zeeger et al. 2006
• Sidewalks tend to decrease crash rates (McMahon et al. 1999; Berhanu 2004)
• Urban areas have higher crash rates than rural areas.(Zeeger et al. 2006)
• Transit stops, neighborhoods with median annual income of less than $25,000, and proximity to alcohol sales establishments tend to be positively associated with crash rates (Harwood et al. 2008)
• Higher crash rates occur around malls, schools and parks (Wedagama et al. 2006; Clifton and Kreamer-Fults 2007)

Register now for Pedestrians Count 2012

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May 3 -4
Pedestrians Count 2012
California WALKS is pleased to announce LA's second pedestrian count. Pedestrians Count! 2012 will be held in Los Angeles on May 3rd and 4th, 2012. The seminar promotes pedestrian safety, transit access, healhty environments and sustainable communities coordinating with cutting edge research. It also explores latest best practices in pedestrian data collection and analysis with strategic community advocacy. Professionals, academics and community leaders will share their current and most promising work.
More info here.

LA DOT: Your Ignorance is Showing

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Thanks to Curbed LA and Erik Griswold for bringing this awesome advocacy effort to my attention. Filmmaker Adam Choit put together this short segment in hopes that it would convince the powers-that-be of the real need for a marked crosswalk along Sunset Boulevard between Poinsetta Pl and Gardner St where there are no marked crosswalks or other pedestrian treatments along 1300 feet of a seven-lane road.

When asked how this could be, LA DOT's response was "Observations of pedestrian behavior and safety studies in cities throughout the world have produced evidence which suggests that pedestrians are cautious when crossing at locations where crosswalks are not painted."

(Sound of me banging head on table in frustration).

Actually, safety studies have produced any amount of evidence to the contrary, including this study released just a few weeks ago. There have been a whole slew of studies showing how dangerous it is for pedestrians to try to race across wide, high-speed roads without anything but a prayer to protect them. Come LA DOT. You can do better than this.

APBP Webinar on Sidewalk Maintenance

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Because we all know how much we need it here in LA...

Wednesday, March 21 | 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Efficient and cost-effective maintenance of pedestrian facilities is an important safety measure. Attend this webinar to learn why maintenance programs are important, and how to make the case for maintenance at budget time; how to overcome the barriers to implementing a good maintenance program; and how to develop the elements of a program that includes both routine maintenance and responding to hazards. Best practices for inspection, replacement and snow removal will be discussed, as well as findings from recent research into pedestrian facility maintenance. The session will include a preview of the new FHWA publication, "A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety," due to be published by the end of 2012.
Register here.

This Week on Foot

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This week Volvo rolls out V40 with pedestrian air bag, which is earning the company lots of attention from advocates who are concerned that it gives drivers a "pass" to hit pedestrians (or at least be less vigilant when watching for them. You can join the debate on this Streetsblog Open Thread: The Volvo Pedestrian Airbag. Personally, I'm all for any technology that helps protect pedestrians, and I'm willing to bet that the parents of the 11-year-old twin girls hit by car in Studio City, 1 critical, 1 serious feel the same way. But not everyone agrees, like this Washington Post blogger who wonders Will driverless cars really slow for pedestrians?

If they do, hopefully New Jersey drivers will start using them on Route 22, where, With 9 pedestrian deaths over 3 years, Route 22 ranks among N.J.'s most dangerous roads. Fortunately, folks in the area are working on that problem with Regional Responses to Most Dangerous Roads for Walking Report.

Elsewhere in the country, Aging Houstonians want safer streets, Planning Commission to hear about changes to growing city, and in Seattle they're thinking about Freeing Food Carts to create more walkable environments. In Chicago they're searching for a Complete Streets policy? What Complete Streets policy? while up in San Francisco they're talking about Why Apple's New Campus Is Bad for Urban America. Outside the US Perth CBD evolving to be more pedestrian friendly, but in India there's no Civic Sense: Poor pedestrian left in the middle of the road.

Back home we're still debating the transportation bill. You can Compare the Senate and House Transpo Bills, Side-By-Side, but is the bill Bipartisan? Comparing the 2012 bills to past transportation bill votes.

Also, we're reminded this week that it doesn't take much brain power to realize that pedestrian safety is important. It's a No Brainer: Active Kids = Smarter Kids. In other words, It's the Design, Stupid.

Finally, in honor of Saint Patrick's Day Leprechaun helps call attention to pedestrian safety. Whatever it takes...

Pedestrian Research News

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Time again to curl up with a cup of coffee and your favorite guilty pleasure: research papers! Or is that just me?

www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

Effects of Pedestrian Perceptions of Safety: An Examination of Pedestrian Crossing Behavior in Marked versus Unmarked Crosswalks

This study revisits the "false sense of security" argument often just to justify eliminating marked crosswalks. Using surveys and observations at marked and unmarked crosswalks, the study examined pedestrian attitudes and behavior towards crosswalk marking. Survey data collected showed many pedestrians believe they have the right of way only in marked crosswalks.When observing pedestrian behavior in three different crosswalk treatments, however, pedestrians surprisingly showed higher levels of cautiousness in marked crosswalks than unmarked crosswalks. These findings suggest that marked crosswalks do not give pedestrians a false sense of security or correlate with reckless behavior.

Neighborhood Crime and Travel Behavior: An Investigation of the Influence of Neighborhood Crime Rates on Mode Choice – Phase II

This report describes the second phase of a research study conducted by the Mineta Transportation Institute evaluating the impact of neighborhood crime on mode choice. While it has always been assumed that the threat of crime influences the decision to walk or ride a bike, there has been little research on the topic of neighborhood crime and travel.

The analysis in this study shows that high crime neighborhoods tend to discourage residents from walking or riding a bicycle. As the authors describe, "When comparing a high crime to a lower crime neighborhood the odds of walking over choosing auto decrease by 17.25 percent for work trips and 61 percent for non-work trips." The researchers also investigated the impact of neighborhood crime on the access portion of transit trips (walking, bicycling, or driving to a transit stop). They found that  this part of the transit trip is sensitive to neighborhood crimes, and that in high crime neighborhoods people forgo walking and bicycling in favor of driving to transit stations.

Preserving Mobility for Older Americans

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My mom likes to say that being old isn't hard, but getting there is rough.

Not that she would know, of course.)

For many, one of the roughest parts of aging is giving up driving. Sacrificing the car keys also means sacrificing the freedom to go, comfortably, the places you want to go. As a new generation creeps into the "should you really be driving?" age group, it's no surprise that greater attention is being paid to the mobility needs of older adults, as with the newly-released white paper from AASTHO and TRIP Keeping Baby Boomers Mobile: Preserving the Mobility and Safety of Older Americans.

The paper offers a series of recommendations related to road design, education, licensing, vehicle design, and alternative transportation modes that aim to preserve older adults' ability to move throughout their communities on their own.


Unfortunately (though perhaps not surprisingly for a paper written by a highway association), several of the key recommendations do little to improve the overall safety of the road, and may in fact harm more vulnerable users like pedestrians and cyclists.


Let's begin by examining one of fundamental premises underlying these recommendations, that in the name of safety we must redesign our roads to accommodate older drivers. The paper emphasizes that older drivers are disproportionately represented in fatal crashes. This may be true, but that has more to do with these drivers' frailty than unforgiving roads. In fact, older drivers tend to self-regulate their driving (e.g. drive only during the day, choose "easier" routes), which largely negates the effect of decreased physical abilities on their driving skills.

And let's not forget that while older drivers may be likelier to cause a crash than other adults, the really dangerous ones are younger drivers. According to one RAND study, older drivers may be 16 percent more likely to cause a crash, but younger drivers are 188 percent more likely to do so.

Streets are not for Children

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...but they should be. Unfortunately, for the past century various organizations have been campaigning to keep children off streets in the name of "safety." Bike Delaware has posted some interesting images, like this one, from early efforts to keep kids from playing in the streets--because  those streets belong to vehicles, not people, right?

Lest you think that the auto lobby was entirely to blame for this, check out this 1914 NY Times article about "Movies" of Street Car Accidents Shown in Brooklyn Schools . (Yes, the battle for street space started when "movie" was still a slang term that had to be put in quotes.)

Sadly, children seem to have learned the lesson. Want a sign of how important private vehicle travel is to our culture? According to one recent study, of the 25 words every normal toddler should know before age two, only one has to do with transportation: "car."

This Week on Foot

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This week we learn about Where the Sidewalk (and Money) Ends, or: It Won't Be Easy Implementing Complete Streets. It will be especially hard if Congress passes a transportation bill that cuts funding for alternative transportation modes, but fortunately the latest Transportation Bill Amendment Would Restore Bicycle, Pedestrian Funding. We'll continue to follow the progress (or lack thereof) of the bill closely.

Meanwhile, at the state level "Complete streets" bill gaining attention in West Virginia, and Complete Streets Building Momentum in Jefferson County, Ala. Elsewhere in the country Zoning reform strengthens Nashville's impressive sustainability efforts, a New bicycling and pedestrian committee holds first meeting in Florida, and Stakeholders meet, brainstorm about pedestrian-safety improvements in Nevada while Cops continue campaign to protect pedestrians here in California.

It's been a busy week for Walk Score, as MRED integrates Walk Score in internal MLS system and Greater Greater Washington asks Which city's rail system has the best Walk Score? Others are wondering about The Green Leap: Can We Construct Urban Communities That Conserve Biodiversity? If so, we can probably all agree that It Starts With Better Design.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/02/28/3907703/new-bicycling-and-pedestrian-committee.html#storylink=cpy

Upcoming Webinar

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012
10:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. PDT
Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility Considerations at Modern Roundabouts
This webinar will explore considerations for pedestrian safety and pedestrian accessibility at modern roundabout intersections. Modern roundabouts are one of FHWA’s proven safety countermeasures due to their clear and documented reductions in vehicle injury and fatal crashes compared to signalized intersections. However, the safety performance of roundabouts to pedestrians is less clear, and a lot of research in recent years has pointed to significant concerns about the accessibility of roundabouts to pedestrians who are blind.

Register here.

Walk Raleigh gets America moving

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Image courtesy Walk Raleigh

The pedestrian advocacy world has been buzzing over one graduate student's efforts to promote walking in North Carolina ever since the BBC featured the campaign in one of its Altered States segments this month. Working with a couple friends, Matt Tomasulo tagged utility poles around Raleigh with wayfinding signs touting walk times to popular destinations. The idea is that the signs will not only help visitors find their way around, but also remind everyone who hits the city streets how quick it can be to walk to a nearby destination instead of driving.

Sadly, city regulations prohibit unsanctioned signs like these, so the signs were removed a few days ago--but Tomasulo remains positive, calling the campaign a "tremendous experience" and promising "more is yet to come." Raleigh seems to agree, and has asked Tomasulo to attend its next Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission meeting so that members can discuss ways to incorporate the Walk Raleigh signs into the city's official pedestrian planning efforts.

This week on foot

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Is it just me, or has it been busier than normal out there in pedestrian land? The most pressing topic of the day continues to be the transportation bill renewal, and this week we learn from Transportation for America that The more they see, the less they like: 10 reasons why opposition to the House transportation bill is growing. Fortunately some in Congress are on board with that sentiment, like Oregon's Blumenauer: Don’t Let American Streets Remain Unsafe Routes to School. Too bad more folks in Congress don't seem to understand that good Transportation laws can affect health , on top of all their other benefits.

And it's not just in the US that Pedestrians not welcome on roads--as we've often discussed, India has its problems as well. Meanwhile over in Australia, one blogger wonders Is “eyes on the street” straining it? 

Back in this country, a National Walkability Expert to Address Value of Trails in Indiana, while In NYC, Florida, Asking Police to Step Up for Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety , Denver is urged to hit the sidewalks and there's a $6.8M project to improve bicycle, pedestrian trails that will link Camden, Philadelphia.

Here in LA one blog offers a Sneak Peek: East Cahuenga Pedestrian Alley Opens Tomorrow (er, yesterday), and There Will Be Polka Dots: Silver Lake Gets Adorable Pedestrian Plaza --but in the Valley, Northridge residents can't get city to fix buckled sidewalk.

Sacramento pedestrians have their troubles as well, where Amtrak riders must walk two-block distance to catch trains downtown. And while Texas Cities May Be Turning the Corner on Pedestrian Safety, in Canada Traffic countdown signal not helping, study finds. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, That pedestrian crossing sign does NOT mean "run them over"--like in this case where a Pedestrian Gets Hit in Crosswalk by Car | Driver Says He Didn't See the Person at Night.  Of course it's not always darkness that's a problem--often it's those pesky devices that we seem to be so fond of using while driving. Fortunately this week the DOT Issues Voluntary Guidelines for Driver-Distracting Electronics Systems. With these, maybe soon we won't have to keep asking How did the pedestrian cross the street?

d more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/20/4276328/amtrak-riders
Are Urban ArConstruction of pedestrian flyovers a waste terials and Pedestrian Safety Mutually ESneak Peek: East Cahuenga Pedestrian Alley Opens Tomorrow
Northridge residents can't get city to fix buckled sidewalk
Silver Lake Boasts L.A.'s First Polka-Dotted Pedestrian Plaza

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More on Winter Walking

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A few months ago I wrote about the challenges pedestrians in snowy cities face each winter, and what some cities are trying to do about them. It might be springtime already here in LA, but there are still plenty of places struggling with the white stuff. Chicago recently launched the City of Big Shovels campaign to try to encourage sidewalk shoveling through public praise or, well, humiliation. According to the site:

"City of Big Shovels is a grassroots campaign to improve the City’s winter walkability by highlighting the importance of the well-shoveled sidewalk. Taking its cue from the famously effective Don’t Mess With Texas anti-litter campaign, City of Big Shovels puts a wry spin on the issue by appealing to Chicagoans’ rough and ready spirit and latent winter pride."

The site features photos (submitted by the public) of "snow angels"--who keep their sidewalks snow-free and safe for pedestrians-- and "snow flakes"--who don't.

Elsewhere in the country, Safe Routes to School are still going strong despite cold weather. If you'd like to learn how they do it, the Safe Routes Coaching Action Network will be presenting a webinar on February 28 at 10 am PST about Making the Cold Cool: Keeping Your SRTS Program Going During the Winter. From SRTS:

In this sixty minute webinar, Taylor Lonsdale the State SRTS Coordinator  for Montana, will provide an overview of the issues associated with winter walking and cycling and discuss why it is important to keep your SRTS program running through the  coldest months.   Jenna Zdunek, Health and Wellness Director for the Marquette, (MI)  YMCA,  will then explain how the Sandy Knoll Elementary School SRTS Program was able to overcome the administration's fears associated with winter walking.   She will also discuss how the School is addressing the problem of snowy sidewalks with their "School Shoveling Project."  And finally, Kerry Ott, the Manistique Community Coordinator - Strategic Alliance for Health, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, will provide three  specific examples of how to make the challenges of winter walking fun and positive through the use of creative programs like  their "Golden Shovel Award," the "Scoop and Sculpt," and snow removal flash mobs.

Register here.

Upcoming Walking Events

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March 2
UCLA Complete Streets for California 2012 Conference

Featuring sessions on redfining street performance metrics, equity considerations, pollution control, a keynote speech by Gil Penalosa, and much more. More information and registration here.

March 6, 11:00 PST
Creating Healthy Communities Through Design: Improving Parks and Active Recreation Opportunities

Creating neighborhoods with great parks, open space, and active recreation opportunities encourages people to be active and fit, helping to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Improving parks, trails, sports fields, and other recreation infrastructure also creates more sustainable, livable, and desirable places to live and work. 

 This webinar will focus on creative ways that cities across the country are creating new opportunities for park and recreation spaces, as well as how communities are encouraging more physical activity in - and improving access to - existing park and recreation facilities. Information about the health, economic, and sustainability benefits of parks and active recreation opportunities will also be presented.

Register here.

March 16, 2012
Walk San Diego Visioning San Diego Lunch Forum
Join WSD for a presentation by renowned transportation engineer (I can vouch for him, he used to be my boss) Rock Miller as he talks about the status of walking and biking in California. The talk will be held at the Downtown Information Center located at 193 Horton Plaza.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
Make a reservation by e-mail here.

Cool Ped Stuff # 20: Awards Season

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Here in LA, it's hard to miss the fact that the Oscars are upon us (what, you mean your town hasn't been inundated with billboards pleading for Academy votes?). The stars might be celebrating by being driven around in shiny black limos, but Carbusters is shining the spotlight on movies that don't feature automobile travel. In its first ever No-Car Oscars, the site rates the nine Best Picture nominees for their portrayal of transportation modes. And the winner is...Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (hard to beat a  movie set in a city as walkable and rich in public transportation as New York).
Check out the Carbusters site for more info or click on the links below to see the scorecards for each movie.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (20.5)See Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow and child actor Thomas Horn all use alternative
transportation.
War Horse (10.5)
When a motorized vehicle shows up, it’s usually bad news.
Tree of Life (8.5)
Recreates a neighborhood where kids play in the street without fear of being hit by a car.
The Descendants (8)
Includes the memorable scene of George Clooney leaving his Honda at home and running through his suburban neighborhood to get to his friends’ house.
Hugo (7.5)
Celebrates the social interactions and intersections at a train station.
Midnight in Paris (3.5)
A writer revels in walking the streets of Paris while his fiancée and her parents view walking as suspicious behavior.
The Artist (2.0)When you’re a star you’re chauffeured in a car. When you’ve given up all hope, you give away your car.
The Help (0.5)The white heroine drives a convertible; the black domestic help ride the bus.
Moneyball (- 10)
From watching this movie you’d never know the San Francisco area is rich with public transportation.

Driverless Cars, or Why I'm Moving to Nevada

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Maybe I've mentioned my ongoing bet with husband: he's convinced we won't see mainstream adoption of driverless cars in our lifetime, and I'm certain we will. This week I'm just a little closer to winning that bet, as Nevada finalizes rules allowing driving permits for robotic cars.

In a state known for gambling, this isn't as big of a risk as you might think. As one of folks involved in Google's driverless car experiment pointed out recently, “Our computers drive our cars better than you do when you’re drunk. That’s our starting point.”

They also don't text, or fall asleep at the wheel, or participate in many of the other behaviors that are so dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. But these vehicles don't just drive better than a human on their best day--they driver better than a human. That's because they can "see" things that a person simply can't:

"We were driving behind an 18-wheeler and we saw the vehicles in front of the 18-wheeler — vehicles we could not see with our eye — because the signal bounced off the pavement ... at a glancing angle underneath the 18-wheeler. And so no human will ever have the amount of information that these cars have when they are driving."

Of course, we're still years away (note to husband: experts are talking about mainstream adoption in terms of "years," not "decades") from being able to purchase our own driving robot. In the meantime, there are other technologies out there that promise increased roadway safety while we wait. For example, Volvo is working on vehicles that can connect to "platoons" on highways led by professional drivers. While the "engine" of these road-trains would be driven by a human, once wirelessly connected to the train, the rest of the drivers would just site back and enjoy the ride. Volvo suggests that their trains may be on the road in Europe as soon as 2020.

Excuse me, while I go collect my $50.

This Week on Foot

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This week the top news continues to be that the proposed federal Transportation bill jeopardizes fate of bike, pedestrian programs. It's frustrating that our national government doesn't appear to understand the importance of pedestrian and bike funding, given that the public does: Survey says ... most Americans like smart growth! And also, Most Americans Want a Walkable Neighborhood, Not a Big House. But unless things change quickly on Capitol Hill, Pedestrians must step cautiously in Nebraska...and everywhere else in the country.

Like in Colorado, where they're not Treading safely: Pedestrian crashes more than double between 2007-2010, Kansas where Pedestrian, motorists struggle for right-of-way on local streets, or Chicago where Pedestrian dangers on trial 6 years after child's hit-and-run death.

And as if crashes aren't enough of a problem, U.S. Cities Are Losing 4 Million Trees a Year as our cities are developed with more and more impervious surfaces. Of course, sometimes trees are the problem, as in LA where this week we're shown Proof that ficus trees are bad for the sidewalks.

But it's snow on the sidewalks that's causing problems in Denver, where Homeowners And City Face Off Over Snowy Sidewalk. Meanwhile in Lawrence city sidewalk ordinance ruled unconstitutional, and across the world Jakarta’s sidewalks offer more than just pedestrians. You can see why sidewalks might become an area of interested for UCLA professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris: In Athens, Greece, the Traffic is Worse!, but the sidewalks get a lot more use than they do in LA.

Elsewhere in the country, Quincy starts new pedestrian safety program, a Woman who killed pedestrian sentenced to four years in prison, and Floridians are wondering Is an elevated roadway on Pensacola Beach worth $25M?

Finally, a few words on Active-adult living: Walkability in Manassas’ Gatherings is a key focus, but For Healthy Cities, Government and Business Need to Reverse Roles according to one blogger. What do you think? 

Feeling the HEAT

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For those of you who looking for a way to quantify the health benefits of walking or cycling (probably many of you, given the growing push for "measurable" results from new programs or projects), the WHO's online tool HEAT (the Health Economic Assessment Tool) can help you "conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling."

HEAT is available here. To use it you'll need to provide:

• An estimate of how many people are walking or cycling. 
• An estimate of the average duration spent walking or cycling in the study population
• Mortality rate
• Value of a statistical life
• Time period over which you wish average benefits to be calculated
• A discount rate, if desired

While HEAT was primarily developed for European use, you can take a look at how some researchers in the US modified it for their use in this study.