Action Alert from America Walks

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Those of you who have been less distracted by poopy diapers than me have probably been following the debate over the extension of federal transportation funding closely, but just in case you haven't here's an important request from America Walks to show your support for ped and bike funding ASAP. If I can find time to do it, so can you!

Save Transportation Enhancements in the Transportation ExtensionContact Your Senators Today to Preserve Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding

This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars, will be spent on bicycling and walking.  In 2012 that figure could be a big fat zero if Senator Coburn (R-OK) gets his way.

In the next few days, Senator Coburn (R-OK) is expected to try and hold up the extension of the SAFETEA-LU transportation bill unless Congress eliminates funding for the federal Transportation Enhancements (TE) program.  For twenty years, Transportation Enhancements has been the primary funding source for sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more.

Sen. Coburn is threatening to let tens of billions of transportation spending expire after September 30 (the current expiration of SAFETEA-LU) over the small amount that bicycling and walking receives.  If Sen. Coburn were to succeed, it would mean an immediate end to funding for Transportation Enhancements.  It would also mean that our chances of sustaining any funding for bicycling and walking (including for Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails) in the long-term reauthorization bill would be more difficult.

Members of Congress who oppose bicycling and walking funding are saying that these projects are “job-killing regulations.”  But, bicycle and pedestrian projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects.  And, bicycle and pedestrian projects help alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety, get people active, and give us all more transportation options.

Please take two minutes to contact your Senators today to urge them to vote against the Coburn amendment and sustain dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements.  Don’t let them take away this vital investment program for smart, sustainable, safe transportation choices.

Thank you for your action. With your help, we can preserve funding for bicycling and walking in the extension and put us in a better position for the long-term transportation bill.

Cool Ped Stuff # 17: The Pedestrian Jar

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The Pedestrian Jar - Teaser from pedestrian jar on Vimeo.

This official selection from this year's Toronto International Film Festival was made in response to a recent uptick in pedestrian fatalities in the Toronto, leading director Evan Morgan to wonder, "What can be done to create more awareness of the relations between pedestrians and cars?"

The film is intended to be the first of a series addressing varying perspectives on roadway safety, including the role that pedestrians and cyclists must play in keeping themselves safe in a dangerous setting.

As Mr. Morgan explains, "...whether or not drivers are able to recognize their unfortunate tendencies within the context of this narrative, it doesn't mean that the message will easily translate into practical experience. What I mean is that they'll still likely be overly preoccupied with 'making that right turn', and perhaps fail to acknowledge a pedestrian every now and again.

I think that the value of the movie's message is actually for the pedestrians themselves, who perhaps have learned to take drivers for granted - as though cars will immediately stop for them the second they step out onto the road.

We have to remember that these vehicles are not robots, but are being operated by human beings, who can easily space out or become distracted for any number of reasons. I think the movie's criticism of drivers is relevant in so far as it reminds us to be more vigilant when navigating our city on foot."

In other words, yet more evidence that our streets would be better if only cars WERE robots that drove themselves. But that's a different post...

This Week on Foot

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This week our friends down south are making great strides towards pedestrian friendliness, as Bolivia bans cars for 'Day of the Pedestrian'. Yet other parts of the world aren't so promising. In Toronto, there's a Scramble intersection under city scrutiny, and Cyclists defend using sidewalk where pedestrian was struck and killed. But the quest for walkability carries on. In Vancouver the Public pushes for a pedestrian zone, and in India a study shows us that Rajkot, Surat need dedicated pedestrian space.

Closer to home there's much talk about Reese Witherspoon’s Accident: Are Pedestrians Really In Growing Danger. The definitely are, at least in Montana where Friends, neighbors remember bicycle-pedestrian advocate who died in crash.

Meanwhile, over at Streetsblog they're wondering, With a Growing Effort Toward Safe Routes to Schools, Why Not Safe Routes to Universities? It's a good question, given that here in California a Safe routes to school equity bill signed into law, while in Minnesota State schools nab $3.8M windfall for sidewalks
Elsewhere in the country, Fairhope pedestrian safety project teaches civics lesson--one that perhaps they haven't learned in Maryland, where Montgomery police pledge to step up ticketing of jaywalkers, in contrast to Utah, where Park City's walkable vision ahead of planning curve.

Finally, From the archive, 8 September 1921: Right or Left? Pedestrians need to be told how to walk properly along those things "Americans call sidewalks."

Volunteers Needed for LA Bike and Ped Count

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An urgent request from the LA Bicycle Coalition:

We are conducting our 2nd bike and pedestrian count in the City of Los Angeles next week over two days. Tuesday, Sept 13th from 7 to 9am and 4 to 6pm and on Saturday, Sept 17th from 11 to 1pm. We still have a ton of locations all across the City of Los Angeles that need your help and the help of your friends & neighbors.

If you could sign-up to volunteer, just for one of the count times it will make a tremendous impact towards the collecting this vital active transportation data. What isn't counted is not funded, and currently the City of Los Angeles and LA County in general are lagging in collecting data on bicycles and pedestrians.

This count is our opportunity to get out there and make sure we are counted. So whether you ride a bike or walk to transit, this count is being held to count YOU!

So please help us make this count possible by signing up to count today. More information can be found here. Login here and see the locations, dates and times available and sign-up today!!!

Upcoming Walking Events

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September 16 12:00-1:00 PM (PT)
Visioning San Diego Lunch Forum

WalkSanDiego will feature Elyse Lowe, Executive Director of Move San Diego, as the guest speaker for its next Visioning San Diego Lunch Forum on September 16, 2011. Ms. Lowe will announce the beginning of The MOVE Alliance, a new program recently formed by her organization to review, recognize and endorse well designed development projects in the San Diego region that enhance residents’ transportation options and provide for more sustainable growth.

Lunch: $5.00 in advance, $7.00 at door
RSVP here by 9/14/11

September 20 10:00 AM (PT)
Safe Routes Webinar: Creating BUZZ Around Your SRTS Event
  
Each year students from schools in more than 40 countries join together to celebrate walking and bicycling during Walk to School Month in October. Organizing your students for Walk to School Day (WTS) or another walking event is a great way to invigorate an existing Safe Routes to School program or kick off a new one. This webinar will highlight a unique and fun WTS event and provide tips on how to get the word out, involve media, and bring attention to your WTS activities.

For more information please contact Michelle Gulley

September 27, 11:00 AM (PT)FHWA Webinar Series: Designing for Pedestrian Safety Webinars

Part 5: Signalized Intersections
Presented by Michael Moule, President, Livable Streets, Inc.
and Fred Ranck, FHWA Resource Center Safety Design Engineer
Register at View the Recording here

The Ins and Outs of In-Roadway Flashing Lights

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Photo courtesy of Streetswiki

Driving through Santa Monica over the long weekend we encountered a pedestrian waiting at one of these--and a dilemma. Being the well-trained pedestrian-advocate's partner that he is, my husband slowed to stop for the pedestrian--just as the vehicle next to us sped up to catch the green light at the next intersection.

It got me thinking about the safety of in-roadway flashing lights, and the danger of crossing multi-lane roads. First, some info on the lights: they're a relatively new technology (the first was installed in Santa Rosa in 1993), and because of this we don't have a lot of good data on their long-term effectiveness. However, the folks at the PBIC have put together a useful summary of the available research. Some key points:

• Some improvement in yielding to pedestrians has shown at most locations where in-roadway flashing lights have been installed, but it is not always dramatic or consistent across all conditions.
• The effect of in-roadway flashing lights on vehicle speed is unclear. Some studies showed a reduction in vehicle speeds following treatment installation, while others showed no reduction or mixed results.
• The two studies of in-roadway flashing lights at multi-lane roads also produced inconsistent results in terms of whether or not the treatment improves yielding to pedestrians, leading the PBIC to recommend that "caution should be exercised, and perhaps additional treatments implemented if [an in-roadway warning light system] is considered for uncontrolled crosswalks at multi-lane locations."

This Week on Foot

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As summer ends and the school year ramps up, this week we're offered Back to School Red Light Safety Tips for Millions of Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorists and urged to Keep an eye out for pedestrians. And it's not just about the kids: an AARP forum urges steps to improve pedestrian safety for another vulnerable population, the elderly. 
Of course, some jurisdictions are being more proactive with regard to pedestrian safety. Pleasant Hill addresses pedestrian safety with crosswalk signs, while in Tennessee Decatur Gets $261,541 Grant For Pedestrian Bicycle Project and in Missouri a City receives extra $5.9 million for bicycle and pedestrian improvements. At the advice of walking expert Dan Burden Casper tries new street parking in Wyoming, and in Kansas the Douglas plan is a nod to street's past (that is, its more walkable past). Even Houston Is On The Way to Becoming A More Walkable Urban Destination.

In less positive news, we learn that As the Motor City, metro Detroit dangerous for pedestrians; limited sidewalks a problem--however one commenter suggests we Protect Pedestrians by Removing the Sidewalks and using woonerfs instead.

Either wayMotorists urged to go slow at pedestrian crossings, in part due to the new challenge of pedestrians distracted by mobile devices. On that topic, this week we learned that Listening to music more distracting than using a mobile phone (at least for pedestrians).

Of course, even more dangerous for pedestrians is excessive drinking...particularly when it results in passing out in the road. Towards that end: Don't drink and lie, police warn pedestrians. Also beware your footwear. According to Police: Flip-Flops Blamed In Pedestrian Crash in Boulder, Colorado.

When Good Apps Go Bad

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You might have caught this story about San Francisco's new parking app on NPR a few days ago. Part of the pilot SF Park program, the app helps improve parking efficiency by providing real-time information on parking space availability--and price (the other key component of the program is demand-based pricing)-- so that drivers can head directly to the spot they want rather than circling endlessly in search of the elusive golden parking spot (i.e. the one that's free and right in front of where they want to go).

While the app has the laudable goal of reducing traffic congestion (much of which is caused by drivers stalking parking spaces) and its associated environmental impacts, as noted in the NPR segment it also presents users with the virtually irresistible temptation to engage in distracted driving. Although the program's creators insist that they "always encourage drivers to look at the app before they start driving," the reality is that the app won't work nearly as well unless people use it to make decisions in real time; drivers need to call up the information right before they arrive at their destination, not before they start driving.

To be fair to SF Park, the same is true of many other apps out, such as those showing real-time traffic congestion. Apps like these can help to reduce congestion and the problems associated with it, but only when drivers can use them to change routes on the spot. For all of the talk about discouraging distracted driving, it's illogical to pretend that real-time traffic and parking apps don't rely on it.

So how do we continue to reap the benefits of this technology without creating safety problems for pedestrians and drivers alike? Well, my dream is to take driving out of the driver's hands entirely, and let cars handle that themselves. But since that seems to be a few years off, we could at least update our apps to allow users to enter their preferences in advance, and then let the app tell them (automatically and audibly, without having to muddle around with a mobile device) what to do.

For example, a San Franciscan could enter their destination before they start driving, along with the maximum amount they would be willing to pay for parking, and the app could direct them to the closest space in their price range. Or the app could get super-fancy and allow the user to enter a price/distance combo (e.g. a preference to pay up to $2 more for a premium space right up front), and direct the user appropriately.

Sadly, I'm only a transpo--not a techno--geek, so I can't implement this idea myself. But there must be someone, particularly in the haven of all things techno that is the Bay Area, who can?

This Week on Foot

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This week is full of the *shocking* news that walking is dangerous! There's a City study: Chicago pedestrians in crosswalks are in cross hairs, while On Wide Florida Roads, Running for Dear Life. Here in California, Accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists escalate, Alameda police say, and a Woman Dies One Month After Being Hit By Cyclist In San Francisco.

That last story leads to some debate over the relationship between cyclists and pedestrians. If You Want Real Bike Lanes...you need to consider both pedestrians and cyclists (as well as any other users), and make the lanes safe for all. Of course, some just think that Awkward, These Pedestrian Wars Are.

Perhaps so, but they can also be lucrative--at least for one B.C. pedestrian hit in crosswalk awarded $1.1 million (finally, some justice in the pedestrian world!). Perhaps we need more settlements like this, to underscore the financial dangers of ignoring pedestrians' needs. 

Fortunately, many jurisdictions are being proactive about the issue. In North Bend Oregon, they're Creating safer roads for pedestrians to cross , while North Myrtle Beach taking action to make sure pedestrians stay safe, and across the globe Belfast pedestrian access to be prioritised. Closer to home there are Flags Up for Pedestrian Safety in Santa Barbara, San Carlos to spend $2.7 to improve pedestrian and bike safety in town's east side, and Sunset Magazine Breaks Ground On the Sunset Smart Homes, Silicon Valley's Greenest Mixed-Use Development (with a focus on walkability).

Meanwhile, in Florida we note that Rural areas' lack of sidewalks fuel obesity. But in Minneapolis they're wondering, Is walking really exercise?

Hopefully so, since NY Gov Will Sign Complete Streets Law this week, and in Lake Charles, Louisiana More McNeese students taking advantage of new crosswalks. All things to consider when we're Planning the future of cities.

Oh, and if you'd like to get involved in that planning? Volunteers needed for annual count of bicyclists and pedestrians in Washington next month.

Of strollers and sidewalks

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It's a truth almost too obvious to mention that walking with a baby changes your perspective on the pedestrian environment, but I'm going to mention it anyway because it allows me to rant afresh about a problem that affects more than just new baby owners.

Exhibit A: the sidewalk in our neighborhood (see above). Note, I use the term side-"walk" here loosely, as nothing about this crumpled thread of concrete is actually conducive to walking. In fact, until three weeks ago I ignored this mess entirely, sticking instead to the smooth path of asphalt beside it.

And then...enter baby. Suddenly, I'm not so pleased about being forced to share a roadbed with several tons of lethal vehicle. Granted, the on-street parking, narrow roadways, and low traffic volumes make sharing the road a mostly-reasonable proposition in my community. But honestly, if we're going to have sidewalks that are so narrow and poorly maintained that they aren't even usable, why even have them at all? Wouldn't it be a better idea to just tear them out, and instead have a slightly wider shared roadway that a pedestrian with a stroller (or in a wheelchair, or with a cane) might actually be able to use?

It's this unceasing bias against infrastructure for pedestrians, and in favor of that for vehicles, that makes me angry as a pedestrian advocate. This situation would never be tolerated if we were talking about vehicle lanes. Can you imagine the outcry if Los Angeles let its roads deteriorate to the point that they weren't usable in much of the city? In fact, the City's Operation Pothole was instituted to avoid just such a scenario. Yet the City continues to find reasons not to fix its sidewalks (or more precisely, not to force responsible property owners to do so).

What I'd like to know is, where is our Operation Sidewalk?

Demand a Pardon for Raquel Nelson

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Okay, I'm dipping a toe back into the world of blogging for just one quick moment, because I feel so passionately about this story and want to spread the word as much as possible. I hope you'll forgive me if I blatantly copy info from our friends at Transportation for America, rather than coming up with my own:

Raquel Nelson, a metro Atlanta mother, was crossing the street from a bus stop to her apartment complex with her three children after a long trip that included an hour plus wait between buses. Along with a handful of fellow passengers headed to the apartment complex, she unsurprisingly chose to cross the street at the bus stop rather than walk more than half a mile in the dark to the nearest traffic signal and back with her tired children.

They were struck by a hit-and-run driver, killing her youngest son.

Then the unbelievable happened: Cobb County charged this grieving mother, who did not even own a car at the time, with vehicular homicide and other charges, carrying a potential sentence of 36 months in jail. A jury of six – none of whom had ever taken a local bus – convicted her July 12. The judge sentenced her to 12 months’ probation, community service, and the burden of paying court costs. In the face of widespread outcry, she also offered her the option of a retrial, and Nelson intends to exercise that right to clear her name.

But we think she should never have been charged in the first place.

Please consider signing Transportation for America's petition to the Georgia Governor and the Cobb County Solicitor General requesting her immediate pardon or refusal to prosecute her again in a new trial.

You can find additional information about the case on the Transportatino for America blog here.

Where the Sidewalk Starts Puts its Feet Up

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Where the Sidewalk Starts will be taking a brief hiatus as we welcome a new pedestrian into our family. If you're looking for something to read in the meantime, check out the Best of the Blog or one of the many fascinating posts from our friends on the blogroll.


Happy walking!

Upcoming Walking Events

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July 27
PBIC Webinar: Funding Issues
12:00-1:30 PT

In the final presentation of the Pedestrian SafetyAction Plan Webinar series, instructors will address the critical issueof funding programs, projects and plan recommendations. Specifically,the presentation will discuss how pedestrian considerations can beroutinely included and funded in transportation projects and throughannual maintenance budgets. Information will also be presented onvarious Federal, State, local and private sector funding sources. By theend of the presentation, participants will be able to describe how toidentify funding sources for the development and implementation of theirpedestrian safety action plans.

Register online here.

August 19
Active Living Research Conference
Call for Abstracts

Active Living Research invites abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 2012 Annual Conference on March 12-14, 2012 in San Diego, CA. The theme of the 2012 conference, Disparities in Environments and Policies that Support Active Living, recognizes the importance of engaging experts from multiple disciplines to address the inequities seen in many communities throughout the nation where childhood obesity and inactivity are the highest. Abstracts are due no later than 4:00 pm on August 19.

Additional information available online here.

October 24-27
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
2011 Professional Development Seminar

APBP’s Professional Development Seminar is a biennial conference distinguished by in-depth seminars and a collegial atmosphere where participants network, share knowledge, and learn to propel policy into practice. Attend this conference for cutting edge training and the newest, best information to advance your work and your career. PDS 2011 takes place in Charlotte, N.C., a living laboratory for Complete Streets implementation. The conference will offer three classroom training tracks:

• Complete Streets Design and Implementation
• New Guidelines, Research and Standards
• Livability and Economic Development.

Additional information available online here.

This Week on Foot

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This week the transportation world continues to lament The Lonesome Death of a Child Pedestrian in Atlanta, while expressing its unending frustration with a system that blames the child's mother for problems (e.g. lack of pedestrian infrastructure) that are beyond her control.

Meanwhile, a series of odd crashes this week show that no one--from celebrities to cops--can afford to ignore pedestrians. First the Teen Victim in Lamar Odom Limo Crash Dies, then 'Cash Cab' strikes and kills pedestrian in Canada, and finally a N.Y. Officer to Be Fired After Killing a Pedestrian With Patrol Car.

Perhaps it's stories like these that led Philly to increase distracted driving, biking enforcement, or encouraged the development of a Toyota System Can Sense Pedestrians, Avoid Accidents. Other places are interested in improving pedestrian safety as well. In Canada, a City takes steps to curb deaths, while there are Updated pedestrian signals announced in New Haven and New Crosswalks Improve Pedestrian Safety in Denver. Even Memphis business leader McVean wants cyclist/pedestrian path over the Mississippi.

Further abroad, the story isn't as pleasant. In India, we learn about Kochi: No city for pedestrians, and in New Zealand the Law of the jungle rules zebra crossing. Maybe we should just be Living Large Driving Less...

Research Summary

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Making the Case for Investment in the Walking Environment
The UK-based organization Living Streets recently released a report that explores the potential benefits of investing in the walking environment. It outlines many of the well-known benefits of improving the pedestrian environment, including increases in physical and mental health, improved mobility for specific groups like children and the elderly, environmental and economic benefits.

Among the report's key points:

• The most significant measured benefit of investments in the walking environment is improved health from increased physical activity
• User experience (often referred to as journey ambience) is the second largest benefit
• All the evidence reviewed of evaluations of walking environments showed positive cost benefit ratios, of up to 37.6
• investment in the walking environment is likely to be at least, if not better, value for money than other transport projects

Attitudes Towards Red-Light Camera Enforcement in Cities with Camera Programs
The objective of this report, published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, was to obtain information on attitudes and experiences related to red light camera enforcement in cities with camera programs, as well as in Houston, Texas, where cameras were removed after voters rejected the program in November 2010. Telephone surveys were conducted with 3,111 drivers in 14 large cities (population greater than 200,000) with long-standing red light camera programs and 300 drivers in Houston.
According to the report, among drivers in the 14 cities with red light camera programs, two-thirds favor the use of cameras for red light enforcement, and 42 percent strongly favor it. The chief reasons for opposing cameras were the perceptions that cameras make mistakes and that the motivation for installing them is revenue, not safety.

Forty-one percent of drivers favor using cameras to enforce right-turn-on-red violations. Nearly 9 in 10 drivers were aware of the camera enforcement programs in their cities, and 59 percent of these drivers believe the cameras have made intersections safer.

Almost half of those surveyed knew someone who received a red light camera citation, and 17 percent had received at least one ticket themselves. When compared with drivers in the 14 cities with camera programs, the percentage of drivers in Houston who strongly favored enforcement was about the same (45 percent), but strong opposition was higher in Houston than in the other cities (28 percent versus 18 percent).
An Assessment of Urban Form and Pedestrian and Transit Improvements
A recent study from the Washington State Department of Transportation looked at the impact of various community design strategies on travel and carbon emissions. The study used data from the 2006 PRSC Houshold Activity Survey and existing sidewalk data in its evaluation, controlling for household characteristics that could influence walking behavior.

According to the statistical analysis in the study, travel pricing and demand management strategies yield consistently large and significant influence on VMT and CO2 generation. For example, filling in a community's sidewalk network so that 70% of streets offer safe pedestrian space reduces vehicular travel by 3.4% and carbon emissions by 4.9%. The analysis also suggests that only moderate increases in sidewalk infrastructure may be needed to yield significant decreases in VMT and associated CO2 emissions.

On the other hand, more aggressive and substantial increases in land use mix may be required before a greater return on investment is realized. Moreover, the authors make the important point that the success of strategies to promote land use mix and sidewalk availability may largely depend on having a local land use and transportation system to encourage alternative mobility options.

It's important to note that the study was hindered by a lack of sidewalk data for much of the region, so the results should only be considered a "first step"--albeit an encouraging one. Eventually the DOT hopes to expand the study when data from more neighborhoods becomes available.

This week on foot

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This week the pedestrian world is feeling outraged over the Pedestrian convicted of vehicular homicide in own child's death. To be clear, the pedestrian in question didn't hit her child--a driver who had "a little to drink" did. The mother's crime was trying to cross a busy street at a location without a crosswalk (to do so, she would have had to walk a very considerable distance out of her way). David Herron's piece about the Marietta pedestrian convicted of vehicular manslaughter, while walking does a great job laying out the absurdities involved in this case.

Meanwhile, the news around LA is carmageddon and more carmageddon. As I pointed out yesterday,
'Carmageddon' can be motivation to get out and move--let's show the country that Angelenos don't actually wither up and die en masse when they're forced to consider "alternative" transportation modes.

Elsewhere we're reminded that summer is upon us, which means trips to the shore. In the town of Brick Officials Work to Ensure Pedestrian Safety Near Beaches, while Fort Myers Beach locals ready to purchase more pedestrian signs.

 But pedesstrians interested in spending summer days outdoors have other options as well. In Long Beach they're  Revolutionizing the Road – Parklets on 4th Street, and the Powell Street Promenade Enlivens the ‘Heart of San Francisco’s Downtown’. For folks in Dallas that Want A Pedestrian Zone That Cuts Through Downtown? It Already Exists. Perhaps envy for these cities is the reason that a Del Mar group pushes for vibrant town center.

In other good news for pedestrians, Garden Gate neighborhood to see safer pedestrian routes, and FC, JM roads to get pedestrian signals. In Little Rock US Transportation Secretary LaHood on hand for dedication of Arkansas pedestrian bridge, and a Canadian City strikes deal to build pedestrian tunnel for Toronto Island airport.

But things aren't so rosy on the international front. Pedestrians left to fend for themselves in Bangalore, even though advocates point out that Pedestrians do need space to walk. They're encouraging residents to Come, reclaim Bangalore for the pedestrians. Meanwhile in Jakarta, Pedestrians Violating Act Fined Rp 250,000, while Kiwis wonder Why are Wellington pedestrians so reckless? In response to the so-called "reckless" behavior, a Plea issued for pedestrians to take extra care on region's roads in that country.

Back at home, is it Sharing or chaos? Central Park biking shortcuts get mixed reaction. And speaking of mixed reactions, Ford, Verizon Support Distracted-Driver Law — And Its Loophole. Is that good news or bad news? Maybe it falls into the category of "better than nothing" news...

Carmageddon is Nigh

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Image courtesy of Good, with a little tweaking by me.

We'll know in a few days if it's truly the disaster the media is proclaiming it will be, or the disaster that never was, but either way this weekend's shutdown of the 405 is a great excuse to ditch your car and check out your neighborhood on foot. If you live in the Valley near me, you can join in Saturday's Carmageddon Walk to Mulholland Bridge, or take an hour to do a walk audit of your neighborhood and then find out what you can do to fix the problems you discover. Enjoy!

Cool Ped Stuff #15: TV Series

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Perils for Pedestrians is a monthly television series promoting awareness of issues affecting the safety of people who walk and bicycle. It appears on public access cable stations in many cities across the United States and is also webcast. Check out the two latest episodes, or view them all online.

Episode 171:
--Meet the public health director for Broome County, NY.
--Learn about New York State DOT's role in greenways.
--Learn about the City of Binghamton's role in greenways.
--Partnerships are key to the greenway system.
--Talk with a blind pedestrian about traffic.

Episode 172:
--Dobbs Ferry, New York, is losing pedestrian access to development.
--A lawyer explains Sovereign Immunity, Tort, Duty, Notice, and their relation to sidewalk defects.
--An elderly woman in Oswego, New York, makes an inventory of sidewalk defects.
--A pedestrian in New York City is concerned about bicyclists that don't follow the rules.
--A look at sexual harassment of pedestrians in New York City.

Upcoming ITE Webinars

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CSS: Case Study Successes in Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares
Wednesday, July 13, 2011, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Eastern

Credits: 1.5 PDH/Approved AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for this activity

Instructor:  James M. Daisa, P.E., Associate Principal, Ove Arup & Partners, San Francisco, CA, USA; Brian Bochner, P.E., PTOE, Senior Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX, USA and Beverly Storey, Associate Research Scientist, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX, USA
 
This Web briefing provides background and examples of collaborative planning, community and thoroughfare design, design issue resolution, innovative financing,  value capture through redevelopment and public/private partnerships. It will provide two examples of the use of the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) approach to develop a vision, objectives and design for an urban thoroughfare in areas targeted for redevelopment.

Site Fee: $50 non-refundable fee. Register online here.

CSS: Designing Safety and Security Into Walkable Urban Thoroughfares
Wednesday, July 27, 2011, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Eastern

Credits: 1.5 PDH/Approved AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for this activity
Instructor: James M. Daisa, P.E., Associate Principal, Ove Arup & Partners, San Francisco, CA, USA; Brian Bochner, P.E., PTOE, Senior Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX, USA; and Beverly Storey, Associate Research Scientist, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX, USA
 
This Web briefing presents a wide range of design approaches and features that help designers incorporate transportation safety into the design of walkable urban thoroughfares. This includes both roadway and urban design. The briefing will cover primary causes of safety issues and the basic approaches to increasing safety, design features that can increase safety in a multimodal, walkable urban environment and safety benefits and personal security aspects.

Site Fee: $50 non-refundable fee. Register online here.

Action Alert from SRTS

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A call to action from our friends at the Safe Routes to School National Partnership:

IMPORTANT – Key lawmakers acting to end dedicated funding for bicycling and walking!
          
Key Congressional leaders are attacking Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements and Recreational trails and are taking steps to cut off dedicated federal funding for bicycling and walking.  We need every single person who simply wants safe options to walk or bicycle to contact their Senators and Representative today!          

House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourage states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are “not in the federal interest.”  Chairman Mica’s statement that these programs remain “eligible” for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated.
          
Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate ‘frivolous spending for bike trails.’  This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking.  However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe’s comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination. 
          
Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress  , and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe, Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue dedicated funding for these important bicycling and walking programs. 
          
Need some good facts to bolster your argument?  Read on:
          

Cool Ped Stuff #16: People Powered Photo Contest

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For all you pedestrisn photographers out there, a fun contest from tge Alliance For Biking and Walking:
The People Powered Movement Photo Contest addresses a critical need for bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. Bicycle and pedestrian advocates need high-quality images of biking and walking to make their campaigns and communications both professional and engaging. Our nationwide contest builds our online Photo Library, which provides hundreds of images for Alliance members to download and use at no cost. Support grassroots advocacy by submitting your best biking and walking photos for use in the Alliance’s photo library. Enter the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest!

You could win:

• An all-expense-paid trip to Tuscany from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations
• A new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes
• Bags from Ortlieb
• Great products from Planet Bike
• Helmets from Bern
• Bikes Are Better products and gear from Fyxation
• PLUS, winning photos will be published in Momentum magazine

The contest runs through October 31, 2011.

• Online photo submissions will be accepted from August 1 to September 30.
• Public voting will open October 1 and close October 31.
• Winners will be announced in early 2012.

This Week on Foot

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It's shaping up to be a good week in the world of pedestrian safety. Here in the LA region, Metrolink proposals target pedestrian safety at downtown Burbank station. Meanwhile, there's One Complete Street at Atlanta Streets Alive, and even oil-lovin' Texans think that Dallas-Fort Worth should join global pedestrian trend. Under proposed legislation in New York,  Road projects would have to consider sidewalks and bike lanes, while on the national stage Electric, Hybrid Cars to Be Required to Sound Pedestrian Alerts.

Outside the US, there's good news as well. In Canada there are Cops targeting bad bicyclists, mean motorists, while (taking a page from other Latin American countries) Mimes Turn Silent Force For Traffic Safety in Honduras. And even though Zurich streets among Europe’s most congested, that's not stopping the city from continuing to favor pedestrians over cars. London's former mayor argues that city should follow suit, citing 2012 London Olympics 'Games Lanes deaths risk' if pedestrian crossing are removed for the games. 

But don't worry, I won't leave you without a little bad news to balance things out. First, there's an Alarming increase in pedestrian deaths in Bakersfield. And elsewhere we're reminded that Dated sidewalks often pose problems for pedestrians. If only that was the worst of our problems... 

The 10 Most Convenient US Cities

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The Street recently released its list of the 10 most convenient cities in the US-- and by "convenient," they don't mean an abundance of free parking. In their words, "a convenient city is both walkable and easily accessible by public transportation, with jobs, schools, hospitals, groceries, entertainment and other amenities all within striking distance." Using from APTA, Zillow, and WalkScore, they identified cities where--in a least many neighborhoods-- you can leave the car behind and still accomplish many of your day-to-day tasks.

There aren't any big surprises on the list (except maybe Milwaukee), although I'm sure there are naysayers who would argue that LA shouldn't be in the top ten. As someone who resides in the so-called epitome of urban sprawl (an LA suburb), but can still walk to the grocery store, optometrist,  drugstore, bank, pet store, yoga studio, and numerous restaurants, I disagree. Without further ado, the top ten:

• Boston
• New York
• Denver
• Portland
• Chicago
• Washington, DC
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Milwaukee
• Los Angeles

Upcoming Walking Events

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A plethora of ways for you to get involved in the pedestrian community this summer and fall:

Transportation Research Board
91st Annual Meeting
January 22-26, 2012
Call for Papers: Modelling pedestrians and motorized traffic

Societal issues present and future (aging, public health, developmentof new transportation modes) require a better knowledge of pedestrian travelsand behaviours as well as their interactions with the environment. To carry outthis work, simulation tools are playing an increasingly important role.In order to improve our knowledge, the pedestrian committee and the traffic flow theory committee are seeking papers for the 2012 TRB Annual Meeting.

Details are available here.

July 7, 2011 - 11:00 AM PDT
Webinar: Engineering Strategies

Examining a variety of engineering strategies, this presentation will provide participants with knowledge of the different types of improvements that have been shown to enhance safety forpedestrians. Specifically, instructors will present information about sidewalks, street crossings, intersection design, signals, transitconnections and road diets. Following the presentation, participants will be able to describe effective engineering strategies and understand how to integrate them into their pedestrian safety action plans. Sponsored by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety andthe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. AICP CM Credits: 1.5

Register here.

July 20, 2011 - 11:00 AM PDT
Webinar: Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation: Signals for Pedestrians who are Blind - Overview of Current Issues and Available Training

As part of ESPA’s Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation (PPSAT) series, Project ACTION and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) will present a webinar Signals for Pedestrians Who are BlindOverview of Current Issues and Available Training. This webinar will provide an overview of accessible pedestrian signals (APS), how they are used by people who are blind, current standards governing their use, and how webinar attendees can host a free APS workshop offered through TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP has initiated a project to develop guidelines and training materials for implementation of APS. A former APS workshop host and a former workshop participant will be featured to share their experiences.

Register  by July 15 here.

July 23, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Mt Soledad/Back Roads of La Jolla
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

August 6, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Coronado Historic Walk
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

August 21, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Special Sunday Walk Through Balboa Park Trails
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

WalkSanDiego Fall Walking Tour Weekend in Los Angeles

WalkSanDiego is looking into organizing a fall weekend walking tour to explore some of these hidden gems that showcase the real LA ---including old staircases that were scenes in old Laurel and Hardy/Three Stoogies movies, narrow/twisty streets in historic neighborhoods, unusual bridges, and a walk up to the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood sign!

Walks each day would 8-10 miles in length, but at a relaxed pace with plenty of stops at coffee bars in the morning, enjoyable lunch spots, and ice cream/gelato shops in the afternoon. If you are potentially interested in joining WSD, please contact Dave Schumacher.

September 11-14, 2011
California APA Conference

The California Chapter presents Mission: Possible, a statewide conference that provides networking and educational opportunities for its members. These popular conferences attract planning professionals from throughout California, the United States, and around the world.

Additional information available here.

February 2-4, 2012
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

Sun, Surf, and Smart Growth: The 11th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference will be held in San Diego, CA.

Additional information available here.

This week on foot

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This week, further evidence that people are crazy out there. First, in Florida St. Andrews resident demands pedestrians yield to golfers (or rather golf carts) instead of the other way around. And closer to home, UCLA students criticize parking enforcement changes in Westwood that prevent them from parking in crosswalks. Now, as a former UCLA student myself I understand the parking problem in Westwood--but that's no excuse for blocking pedestrian access. It makes you wonder, Can LA Afford to Neglect Its Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure?

Meanwhile, Bike Lanes, Crosswalks, Pedestrian Signals Coming to Dahab Crash Corner in Culver City and New Signage to Guide Pedestrians in Four Neighborhoods in New York. But elsewhere in that city a Dangerous Queens Intersection Has Pedestrians Worried. Perhaps its fortunate then, that a 
Traffic Safety Boards target distracted drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Of course, that comes a little to late for one pedestrian in Washington, where an Officer’s text message ruled a factor in pedestrian fatality. At least in Tennessee a new "Due Care" law strengthens protections for Tennessee bicyclists, pedestrians

Further abroad, things are also looking positive this week. In Portugal Downtown Vilamoura improvements for greater pedestrian safety, and its a Smooth walk for south Mumbai pedestrians. In Canada Cops tell cyclists to stay off sidewalks, while European Cities Choose Walkability Over Traffic Flow. But watch out if you're in New Zealand, where Bus lanes blamed for pedestrian toll.

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Are Right Turns on Red Dangerous for Pedestrians?

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As part of the ongoing red light camera debate, we've been hearing assertions that right turn on red (RTOR) violations aren't that dangerous, because collisions due to RTOR violations are generally less severe than other types of crashes. But does this hold true for crashes involving pedestrians? And for that matter, is it true at all? (I'm always skeptical of broad statements--including my own--made without proper references.)

I took a stroll around the internet in hopes of answering those questions, and here's what I found:

The push to allow RTORs began in the mid-1970s as part of a national effort, sparked by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, to conserve energy. By the end of the decade, most states had adopted laws allowing the RTOR in most locations. One of the earlier studies examining the safety effects of the new laws was published in late 1980. Adoption of right turn on red: Effects on crashes at signalized intersections showed an increase in crashes when RTORs were allowed, with a 60 percent increase in crashes involving pedestrians (though this large percentage increase could be due, in part, to the relatively low number of right-turn crashes involving pedestrians).

A slightly more recent study (1994) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that while RTOR crashes represent a very small number of collisions at signalized intersections overall (0.4 percent), these crashes frequently involve bicyclists and pedestrians (22 percent of all RTOR crashes). And although the analysis shows that RTOR crashes rarely result in fatalities (less than one percent of all fatal ped/bike crashes involved RTOR), when a cyclist or pedestrian is involved in a RTOR crash they are nearly always injured.

A1996 evaluation of Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Types of the Early 1990s from the Federal Highway Administration had similar results, showing that only about two percent of pedestrian crashes involved right turns on red.

This Week on Foot

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Let's take a break from the red light camera debate and talk about all the good work that's happening this week to improve pedestrian safety. Here in LA, Traffic Light Construction Begins at Deadly Intersection in North Hollywood, while a Downtown “road diet” plan goes forward in Sonoma County. There's a Safety upgrade coming to Woodward, in Florida Pasco willing to give incentives for pedestrian-friendly developments, and in the town of Laurinburg the City Council steps up pedestrian efforts.

Elsewhere in the country, Chicago Experimenting With the “Pedestrian Scramble”, and in Georgia Schools get grant for pedestrian improvements while Community groups gather for traffic safety event in Hawaii. And outside the US Awareness drive helps cut pedestrian deaths in Dubai.

Perhaps all this positive news is because a Livability trend puts walking expert in demand-- and that Walking expert prescribes ‘road diets,’ traffic circles for cities seeking street makeovers. Or it could just be that cities have figured out that Streets Built For Bikes and Pedestrians Also Yield More Jobs.

I guess they missed that lesson in some parts of Florida, where a Bike-Ped Defunding Proposal Sparks Mutiny in Mica’s Home District  London business owners also don't seem to get it, because they're Walking into a new debate this week in that town.

On  a final note, an update from the January 2009 case of a woman who sued Google Maps for directing her to walk on a street without sidewalks. This week we hear from a Utah judge: Car vs pedestrian accident not Google's fault. I guess that means we're still stuck just blaming the drivers, planners, traffic engineers, and public officials who promote vehicle travel over walking.

Further delay on red light camera issue

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In gridlock rivaling that on the 405, the LA City Council returned the red light camera program to the City's budget committee (chaired by RLC supporter Bernard Parks) for additional review after a wacky spell in front of the Council, rife with competing motions, seemingly-contradictory actions, and computer glitches. You can read the full story here in the LA Times, but I offer no promises that the story will clarify anything (except perhaps for the Times' oh-so-subtle implications that the cameras do nothing more than fill the coffers of private firms).

Councilmember Parks will return the program to the Council for debate after additional review, which gives you time to contact your councilmember to urge them to support the program.

LA City Council Continues Red Light Camera Debate

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We have a little more time to wait, but things aren't looking good for the future of red light cameras in LA. As reported in the LA Times,  the Council needs at least eight votes to take any action on the program. Currently, five councilmembers have voted in favor of continuing the cameras--at least long enough to do additional analysis of their effectiveness-- while seven councilmembers would like to end the program immediately. The debate will continue at today's meeting, and again until there are at least eight votes one way or the other.

Best quote of the hearing, from Councilmember Parks in response to the assertion that a $500 red-light ticket could devastate a low-income family, "What is even more devastating is if you lose a life or cripple someone for life because of a traffic accident."

Most discouraging assertion by the LA Times, "A Times investigation in 2008 found that some cities, including Los Angeles, get most of their photo enforcement money from citing slower, rolling-stop right turns, which many experts say cause fewer and less serious accidents." That might hold true for vehicle crashes, but I'd like to see the data for pedestrian crashes...  

This week on foot

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This week has been full of debate on the red light camera issue. As you know, Two L.A. councilmen want to hold off ending red-light camera program--but many Angelenos would like to see the program disappear, like Jay Beeber: Folk Hero Stops L.A.'s Red Light Cameras. Even the Freakonomics blog has weighed in, and it's Seeing Red: Why L.A. Needs to Keep its Traffic Light Cameras. The City Council Delays Vote on Red Light Camera Until Tuesday, so it looks like we'll be hearing more about this issue for at least another couple days.

And why do we want those cameras? Two words: pedestrian safety. We're certainly missing it here in Southern California, where just this week there was a Pedestrian killed in Hollywood, and in SAN MARCOS: Pedestrian hit by vehicle, dies. Further east a Pedestrian killed by Metrolink train in Palmdale (okay, probably a camera couldn't have stopped that one, but it's still a sad statement about the dangers pedestrians face.)

Ironically, just as many Angelenos are arguing over red light cameras, the LA Times reports that Crosswalks are increasingly deadly for the elderly within the region. It just goes to show that Walkability’ key to an age-friendly city.
Of course, elsewhere in the country things are a little brighter. Traffic, pedestrian deaths in Utah trending toward new low in 2011; safety efforts credited. Meanwhile, In Washington County, momentum grows for adding bicyclists, pedestrians into transportation system, while an Oregon Bill clarifies traffic stops for pedestrians and in Chicago Diagonal crossings, fewer right on reds could give pedestrians a leg up.

But that doesn't mean everyone out there is supporting pedestrians. In Canada, a Saskatoon pedestrian hit by car to be ticketed, while in Nogales a Pedestrian circulation study sparks debate over priorities. Seems to me that there isn't much to debate when you consider the Lost Value from Wide Streets...but I guess I'm a little biased.

Vote Delayed on Red Light Cameras

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LA city councilmembers have delayed their vote on the City's red light camera program until next Tuesday to allow more of the council to attend the meeting and vote on the issue. While not a "win," this does indicate that the council is taking the issue seriously --and it gives you more time to contact your councilmember to encourage them to vote in support of the program. In partciular, Paul Koretz, Bill Rosendahl, and my own rep Dennis Zine have indicated their opposition to continuing the program. Tony Cardenas and Bernard C. Parks made the motion to extend the program while additional evaluation is performed.

You can sign a petition in support of the RLC program by clicking here (full disclosure: the petition is sponsored by the Traffic Safety Coaltion. While the coalation itself is a non-profit made up of a diverse group of traffic safety advocates, they do receive their funding from RLC companies.) Alternatively, you can contact your councilmember directly (info on the City's website here)--or even better, do both!

Red Light Cameras

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Perhaps you've been following the debate over the City of Los Angeles' abrupt move to consider eliminating its red light photo enforcement program in the LA Times or Streetsblog. For reasons I'll discuss in a moment, I believe this is dangerous and shortsighted on the part of the City, and I hope you'll join me in speaking out in support of red light cameras ASAP (the City Council will take this issue up in the next few days).

The Traffic Safety Coalition has already put together a petition for you to sign in support of the cameras, conveniently saving me the effort of having to create one myself. Please take a moment to sign here--I promise it won't take more than a minute, and it will help us send the right message to the City Council before it's too late. Do it now, I'll wait.

Finished? Okay, let's talk a little more about the issue of red light cameras in LA. As you're surely aware, red light cameras (aka RLCs) spark some serious, and often misinformed, vitriol. Setting aside the more ludicrous arguments against the cameras (sorry, nothing in the US constitution protects your "right" to run a red light), there are legitimate questions regarding their effectiveness. Here are a few of the latest studies on the subject:

• Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras
• An evaluation of the effectiveness of red- light cameras at signalized intersections
• The effectiveness of red-light cameras: a meta-analysis of the evaluation studies

Each shows that there are indeed reductions in crashes at intersections where RLCs are installed, though the studies acknowledge that in some cases the total reduction is diminished due to increases in particular types of collisions.

This Week on Foot

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This week begins with some outrageous decisions from our legal system. First, there's No jail time for driver who killed pedestrian in a crosswalk because he was paying more attention to his text messages than the road in front of him. Then, the Kenosha DA won't charge driver in 2010 pedestrian death in Wisconsin, because the pedestrian was walking down the wrong side of the road at dusk in dark clothing--which apparently is a greater crime than drinking and getting behind the wheel, as the driver in this case did.

And as if a biased legal system wasn't enough, pedestrians still have to deal with the problem of poor pedestrian design, as pointed out to us this week by Raise the Hammer with thisWalkability Fail Near St. Joseph's Hospital and this Walkability Fail At Aberdeen and Dundurn.

Fortunately there are some lawmakers who'd like to make things easier for pedestrians--or at least to give local jurisdictions more control over speed limits (and thus, more ability to lower them). As Streetsblog reports this week the Newest Attempt to Give Cities Power Over Speed Limits Gains Ground in Sacramento . But at the same time local leaders are considering making things more dangerous for pedestrians by removing red light cameras here in LA. It's a shame that L.A. traffic cameras may get the red light, since they can discourage the kinds of bad driving (e.g. illegal right turns on red) that are particularly dangerous to pedestrians.

And it is dangerous out there for pedestrians. This week there was a Man hit by minivan crossing Oxnard street , while across the country In Lower Hudson Valley, elderly pedestrians more likely to be hit (and also more likely to die from their injuries). Perhaps the Hudson Valley is facing some of the same problems as Corpus Christi, where Downtown Crosswalks Prove Too Speedy For Pedestrians: 13 Seconds Just Isn't Enough
But it's not all bad news out there. In New York,  Yeshiva University proposes new pedestrian plaza (because Public plazas are good for the city). And across the ocean Street Delivery gives the city back to pedestrians for sixth time in Romania. For those of you interested in doing the same thing, this week the Atlantic teaches you How to Turn a Parking Lot Into an Ideal Green Community.

Finally, this week we have news that its not just pedestrians who are benefiting from the pedestrian detection technology that's being installed in new vehicle models: Volvo Using Pedestrian Detection System To Spot Animals, Too.

Improving Pedestrian Design

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A couple resources for planners and engineers hoping to improve roadway design to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists:

First, from the Journal of the American Planning Association, Designing for the Safety of Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Motorists in Urban Environments. In this article, the authors probe at one of the underlying premises that leads to today's emphasis on "vehicle-oriented" roadway design: wide roads are safe roads. Opening with this disturbing quote, "...every effort should be made to use as high a design speed as practical in the interests of safety," from the 2004 AASHTO "green book" (one of the primary guides for American roadway design), the article proceeds to debunk the theory that vehicle crashes are the result of random error and thus roads should be designed to be as forgiving (read: fast) as possible. Obviously such an attitude presents some concerns for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, who are much more likely to be killed or injured on high-speed roads than those where supposedly "dangerous" speed treatments are in place.

While the JAPA article explains why the old theories of roadway design should be thrown out, that doesn't solve the problem of what to do with all the high-speed, pedestrian-unfriendly roadways that have already been built. Enter Caltrans, and its newest complete streets resource, Complete Intersections: a Guide to Reconstructing Intersections and Interchanges for Bicycles and Pedestrians. In it, Caltrans walks through (sorry, the ped puns are hard to avoid) appropriate treatments for each type of intersection, including three- and four-leg intersections, as well as more unique situations like mid block crossings and roundabouts. I particularly appreciate the "Guiding Principles" that Caltrans lays out for intersection design. So often in the past these appear to have been missing from the engineering thought process. Hopefully the new guidance from Caltrans marks a change for the better:

• Observe (watch how the intersection is currently used)
• Pedestrians and bicyclists will be there (people will walk, regardless of whether or not an engineer thinks walking is unsafe at a particular location)
• Maintain and improve (instead of removing pedestrian facilities)
• Tee it up (to 90 degrees, which forces motorists to make slower turns at intersections)
• One decision at a time (don't force people to worry about too many things at once)
• Slow it down
• Shorten crossings
• Improve visibility
• Clarify the right-of-way (because not everyone has memorized the vehicle code like some of us have)
• Keep it direct (pedestrians won't walk out of their way to get somewhere)
• Light at night
• Access for all (including young and old pedestrians, and people with disabilities)

This Week on Foot

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Why Do The Designs Of Our Roads Consistently Ignore The Safety Needs Of Pedestrians? our friends in Hartford ask this week. Well, perhaps it's because of articles like this one that place the blame for crashes on those annoying walkers...since as everyone knows that Distracted Pedestrians Pose Hazard to Themselves, Drivers

Of course, the real question is what to do about the problem. Many believe that better roadway design is a good start, which is why Complete Streets Bill Introduced in Senate this week. But Watch your steps -- Without policy changes, expect more pedestrian fatalities . Hopefully things won't get as bad as they are in India, where there's a 40% rise in pedestrian deaths so far this year. Seems like India could use some New opportunities for New Urbanism? Or perhaps they could learn some lessons from Eugene, Oregon about Staying safe on dangerous streets .

Of course, it turns out that one safety improvement tested in Oregon isn't working so well, as we learn from TriMet: Audible pedestrian warning system is not effective. Maybe Oregon could follow London's lead, where Pedestrian Crossing For Parliament Square Could End Brian Haw Protest.

More pedestrian crossings might help out here in LA as well, where we can at least be happy (?) with news from the CHP: 1 person - not 3 - died on LA County roads it patrols during Memorial Day weekend . Still, I'm not sure this means we've really solved the The foot challenge for Sun Belt cities.
 As they're saying in Idaho, it's Time to take risk to Twin Falls pedestrians seriously...as well as the risks to pedestrians in other states.

Maybe part of the problem is inconsistency. For instance, this week Crime Voice noted that Penalties vary for fatal text-and-drive crashes. Then again, it could be poor urban design, as in Madison where one Pedestrian claims Dollar General failed to provide safe entrance. Of course, there's always this problem: 11-year-old motorist hits vehicles, pedestrian at Kansas mobile home park.

Not really sure what to do about that last one, unless you choose to go the escapist route and lose your worries in some good literature. If so, you might want to check out 'The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris' by John Baxter