Arizona road-safety focus switches to pedestrians
[B' Spokes: My comments proceed by "->"]************************************************
by Jim Walsh, The Arizona Republic
After spending decades building wide streets, Valley cities are retrofitting them to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, cut down on chronic accidents and shift to a healthier, less stressful way of life.
Phoenix, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe and Mesa have joined a national trend by shifting their design philosophy to seek transportation equality for pedestrians and bicyclists by reconfiguring streets with wider sidewalks, more landscaping, bridges and a few specialized crossings.
National and state statistics show Arizona has a chronic problem with pedestrian deaths. Phoenix ranks fourth on a list of cities with the highest percentage of pedestrian fatalities, behind New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to federal statistics.
...
->[Just to note that in 2009 pedestrian road fatalities Maryland ranked the 4th highest and Arizona the 8th highest in pedestrian fatality rate. ]
Among the unique additions across the Valley is the HAWK, which stands for High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk. Its three lights are activated by a pedestrian in the intersection and are displayed just long enough for a pedestrian to cross. It doesn't hold up traffic as long as a conventional traffic signal.
->[Please note that AZ is not without it's traffic lights every mile just like Maryland, HAWK is to accommodate the pedestrian desire line in between major roads, sometimes inaccurately referred to as jaywalking.]
Other efforts to make streets safer include:
Peoria widened sidewalks near several schools and installed two-stage crossings, with pedestrian refuge islands to improve safety, near three high schools. A HAWK was added near Desert Harbor Elementary School at 91st Avenue and Tumblewood Drive. Underpasses separate pedestrians and bicyclists from traffic on major roads along the New River multiuse path.
...
->[Did you catch that? A grade separated trail, no major road crossings at all.]
Glendale installed two HAWKs. One, near 63rd Avenue and Loop 101, connects with a bridge over the freeway to promote bicycle and pedestrian use along a path. The second allows pedestrians to cross from an apartment complex to a shopping center in the 6500 block of West Glendale Avenue. Glendale High School is also nearby.
...
->[A bike/ped bridge over a freeway? Can you imagine that happening in Maryland?]
Valley cities still lag Tucson, which has made a science of pedestrian safety and attracted national acclaim from a federal study for pioneering the HAWK.
Valley cities combined have 24 HAWKs in use or planned, while Tucson has more than 100 after inventing them 12 years ago and using a transit tax to pay for them.
...
"I think there is a recognition that to have a more sustainable community, you have to have less reliance on the automobile," said Kay Fitzpatrick, senior research engineer for the Texas Transportation Institute who authored a July 2010 study that showed the HAWK reduced pedestrian collisions by 69 percent.
...
Arizona's bleak pedestrian-fatality statistics show residents have reason to fear crossing major streets.
Crash Facts, an annual report on highway crashes produced by the Arizona Department of Transportation, recorded 153 pedestrians killed statewide in 1997, 166 killed in 2001 and 154 killed in 2011.
->[For Maryland 107 in 1997, 101 in 2001 and 101 in 2010 (2011 is not up yet on FARS.) And just to note 114 pedestrians were killed in 2009. So while we have seen a decrease in road fatalities primarily for auto drivers we have yet to see that reduction in pedestrian fatalities, despite being called for in the decade old State's Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Master Plan and state laws requiring appropriate funding levels for pedestrians (and cyclists.) ]
Nationally, pedestrian fatalities dropped from 5,321 in 1997 to 4,280 in 2010, a 19.5 percent decrease, according to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
...
Tucson uses a variety of street crossings that sound like a collection of birds. They include:
HAWKs: Usually used midblock or near schools and business shopping centers, they help pedestrians safely cross wide streets where there is a clear source of foot traffic, such as an apartment complex, and a popular destination, such as a grocery store. Shoppers use a HAWK to cross Scottsdale Road between Kierland Commons and the Scottsdale Quarter, two popular shopping malls. The cost can range from $100,000 to $200,000, depending upon extent of wiring and utility work.
Pelicans: Two-stage crossings that help pedestrians cross narrower arterials. Pedestrians cross to a raised island in the median, then use a second crosswalk to reach their destination. The cost is $15,000-$25,000.
Toucans: Short for "two can cross," they allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross at the same time. It has separate lanes, with a green bicycle logo marking the bicycle lane.
PUFIN: Stands for "pedestrian user-friendly intersection." Pedestrians trigger stoplights by pushing a button. A sensor keeps the lights on longer to allow a slow-moving pedestrian to cross safely.
...
<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/10/02/20121002arizona-road-safety-focus-switches-pedestrians.html">http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/10/02/20121002arizona-road-safety-focus-switches-pedestrians.html</a>; .
References:
FARS: <a href="http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov">http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov</a>;
20 Year Bicycle & Pedestrian Access Master Plan
<a href="http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Planning/Bicycle/Documents/FINALB.PDF">http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Planning/Bicycle/Documents/FINALB.PDF</a>;
State law
§ 2-602.(4) In developing the annual Consolidated Transportation Program, the Department shall:
. (i) Ensure that there is an appropriate balance between funding for:
. 1. Projects that retrofit existing transportation projects with facilities for pedestrians and bicycle riders; and
. 2. New highway construction projects;
[The MD legal code site is down at the time of this writing but I believe there are more statutes for pedestrian safety as well as establishing pedestrian priority areas to get funding.]
What's Related