This Week on Foot

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As 2011 wraps up, we see Pedestrian Safety Changes Coming to Village in Ridgewood, but wonder
Did America's Cup Avenue Change Newport's Walkability? If not, then at least in Michigan Detroit Complete Streets Coalition Makes City Streets Safer For Bikers, Pedestrians, while further south

New Orleans' 'complete streets' ordinance draws praise.Of course, we could have figured this complete streets thing out a little sooner if we had paid attention to the Warning of Urban Sprawl...in 1959

 

Meanwhile, the Times Square Pedestrian Plaza Drives NY Post Columnist Mad, but in Janesville it's signs that are coming under fire with much Bash, bang, bother: Pedestrian signs face vehicular assault.

 

Thankfully it's not all negative news out there though, as Research offers fixes for Toronto's high-rise isolation and Pedestrian safety, new police chief among top Dublin stories in '11 in Columbus Ohio

 

Finally, for those in Washington who'd like to get more involved in pedestrian advocacy: Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board seeks new members.

And remember, New Year's Eve is one of the most dangerous nights of the year for pedestrians, so stay safe as you celebrate the start of 2012! 

Make 2012 Distraction-Free

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"Wear more red lipstick."

When I decided to limit my New Year's resolutions to one simple idea each year, that was what I started with. Last year it was the slightly more ambitious "Learn to bake a decent homemade chocolate chip cookie." My husband particularly enjoyed that one.

If you're searching for your own resolution this year, why not make it "Give up distracted driving"? Regular readers of this blog don't need to be reminded of the dangers of talking or texting while driving--but just in case you need a refresher you can find a nice summary here on the US government's distracted driving website. (I find it especially compelling to remember that using a cell phone--even hands-free--is like driving drunk.)

Driving used to be a time when we were safe from outside distractions, but now we feel obligated to use driving time "productively." It reminds me of a vintage ad for washing machines I saw once that showed a housewife relaxing with a drink in a lounge chair while the laundry ran. "Take a break while the washer does the work," the ad urged. But of course, instead of relaxation, that "found" time was only used to complete an ever-growing list of other chores and household obligations.

This Week on Foot

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This week we're reminded that Statistics show pedestrians at risk during holiday season, which perhaps is why in Las Vegas Santa Claus crosses Nellis to make the case for pedestrian safety. Meanwhile there's Growing concern over rise in Hispanic pedestrian deaths. Why have pedestrian accidents been increasing? we wonder, as a Pedestrian dies when struck by SUV in Panorama City, a
Good Samaritan, pedestrian remain hospitalized following crash near Klamath Falls, and in San Diego a Pedestrian killed by car was 17-year-old boy.

Fortunately, in Michigan there's a new Pedestrian safety law: New strobe lights and crosswalk rules approved in Ann Arbor. And other cities are working on pedestrian safety too: East Palo Alto moves to build pedestrian-bicycle bridge over 101, Pedestrian flags debut in Park Ridge, Sidewalk studies go full steam ahead in Florida and the Meridian Township to find ways to promote walking biking. Will one of those ways be scramble intersections? Maybe not in Canada, because although Vancouver sees future in ‘scramble’ intersections, Toronto sees congestion.

On the national level Biking and Walking Score Big in TIGER III, but elsewhere in the world Cyclists, walkers a neglected lot and a Raging cyclist mystifies pedestrian. Of course, what cyclists should be angry about is the fact that Funding for NH bike, pedestrian trails runs dry. Without funding, we're going to have a hard time Fixing suburbs with green streets that accommodate everyone. Perhaps the USDOT has some ideas about what to do about that problem in this Q & A with Polly Trottenberg, Asst Sec of Transportation Policy at the USDOT.

Finally, if you're looking for a good read over the holiday weekend, you might want to check out this piece from the Economist about The wisdom of crowds: The strange but extremely valuable science of how pedestrians behave. Happy Holidays!

Walking in Winter Wonderland

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The season of snow is upon us--well, those of us who live outside of Southern California anyway--and with it comes the perennial problem of snowy sidewalks. For those in more wintry climes, major snowfall can be a serious impediment to walkability. Particularly for less adroit walkers or for those in wheelchairs, navigating sidewalks-turned-snowdrifts is iffy at best.

Many northern cities address this issue by including sidewalk snow removal regulations in their municipal ordinances. Philadelphia, for example, requires "the owner, agent, and tenants of any building or premise shall clear a path of not less than 36 inches in width on all sidewalks, including curb cuts, abutting the building or premises within 6 (six) hours after the snow has ceased to fall." Saint Paul allows property owners a leisurely 24 hours for snow removal, while the ever-hurried residents of New York City have a mere four hours to comply.

Other cities vary slightly in timing and specific requirements, but nearly all stipulate that sidewalk snow removal 1) is the responsibility of adjacent property owners, 2) must be finished within a relatively short period of time following significant snowfall, and 3) if not completed according to city regulations can result in stiff fines. If you're interested in reading about more cities' policies, you can find a nice summary of a dozen or so here.

While having a strict snow-removal policy in place is a great start, those of us in the business of writing ordinances know all-too-well that having a law on the books doesn't always lead efficiently to the anticipated outcome. Tony Hull of Bike Walk Twin Cities tells the story nicely in a post from earlier this year on Seasonal Sidewalk Disorder: given the time it takes to process a violation, two weeks is a best case scenario for clearing a non-compliant sidewalk of snow.

Can you imagine the outcry if it took two weeks to clear roadways of snow after a storm?

This Week on Foot

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This week pedestrians scored a victory at the federal level as U.S. Senate Commerce Committee passed important T4-America policies in its portion of transportation reauthorization bill, including requirements for accommodation of pedestrians in federal surface transportation projects (aka complete streets). It's great news for pedestrians, as we know that Completing streets might prevent more ghosts

And across the country, others are also trying to save pedestrians' lives. In North Carolina, Troopers try to stop pedestrian deaths, announce crackdown, while in Austin Colorado Street to get wider sidewalks, fewer traffic lanes. In Philadelphia officials are urged to Protect pedestrians during Center City revival, while Developers aspire to create new public spaces in MidTown Oklahoma City    ,
CB1 Committee Backs Making a Tribeca Pedestrian Plaza Permanent in New York, and
Walkabout steps up ideas for Hernando in Tennessee.

All this hard work is important, especially since we see a  Growing trend in Bakersfield: Increase in pedestrian deaths. And guys should be especially concerned, especially if they live in New Jersey, where Male pedestrians more likely to be fatally struck than females along N.J. roads.

Elsewhere in the world there's a Plan to make city roads safer for pedestrians in Delhi, and in Australia there's a City taking right steps to encourage walking. But in the UK Ashford pedestrians avoid crossing in 'shared space', and the city is considering a return to more traditional crossings.

Of course, it's the traditional crossings that are problematic in Seattle, where there's no shortage of Crosswalk carnage: Why do cops still ignore drivers who won't yield? Hard to say, but maybe it would help if we Make Driving While Dialing the New DWI, as the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition suggests. More money can't hurt either, as we learn this week in Ventura’s Cool Video Calling for More Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding. And if nothing else works, maybe we can just keep Fighting Job Sprawl, and keep more jobs in walkable central cities.