Comments on: City and State Pedestrian Safety Numbers Don’t Add Up http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Christine Berthet http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/comment-page-1/#comment-30900 Christine Berthet Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:17:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/#comment-30900 Bravo Hilary . Accurate data is basic stuff. We should not have to do a FOIL to get 24 months old data. we also need enfocemnt data . how many tickets given out for what offense at what location . just need a GPS plus blackberry and three keystrokes... Is that too much to ask? Bravo Hilary .
Accurate data is basic stuff. We should not have to do a FOIL to get 24 months old data.
we also need enfocemnt data . how many tickets given out for what offense at what location .
just need a GPS plus blackberry and three keystrokes…
Is that too much to ask?

]]> By: Hilary Kitasei http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/comment-page-1/#comment-30864 Hilary Kitasei Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:06:19 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/#comment-30864 The refusal of the transportation agencies to produce accident data makes it impossible for the public, other agencies (like the Art Commission)or independent experts to evaluate their projects, which they insist are necessitated by accident data. An example is the State DOT plan to "straighten the S curves" of the Henry Hudson Parkway in northern Manhattan. Despite repeated requests by the community board and others to share the data, it was never forthcoming. DOT simply claimed that eliminating variable speed limits was necessary to reduce the accidents in this area (e.g., by creating a straightaway at a consistent 50 mph). Other experts say that variable speed limits are traffic calming. Others say that drainage or improper banking would be causes. My own observation over the last four years has been that almost all accidents occur in the flattest, straightest section of the parkway during heavy traffic where a speed limit is irrelevant. We watch project after project destroy the character of parks and neighborhoods, with no data provided on which to assess their cost effectiveness nor to suggest alternative designs. Enforcement data is also kept secret, though for more justifiable reasons. You can not find out how many officers are assigned to enforce speeding. That removes enforcement as an alternative. The refusal of the transportation agencies to produce accident data makes it impossible for the public, other agencies (like the Art Commission)or independent experts to evaluate their projects, which they insist are necessitated by accident data. An example is the State DOT plan to “straighten the S curves” of the Henry Hudson Parkway in northern Manhattan. Despite repeated requests by the community board and others to share the data, it was never forthcoming. DOT simply claimed that eliminating variable speed limits was necessary to reduce the accidents in this area (e.g., by creating a straightaway at a consistent 50 mph). Other experts say that variable speed limits are traffic calming. Others say that drainage or improper banking would be causes. My own observation over the last four years has been that almost all accidents occur in the flattest, straightest section of the parkway during heavy traffic where a speed limit is irrelevant. We watch project after project destroy the character of parks and neighborhoods, with no data provided on which to assess their cost effectiveness nor to suggest alternative designs.

Enforcement data is also kept secret, though for more justifiable reasons. You can not find out how many officers are assigned to enforce speeding. That removes enforcement as an alternative.

]]> By: nobody in particular http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/comment-page-1/#comment-30858 nobody in particular Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:18:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/04/17/city-and-state-pedestrian-safety-numbers-don%e2%80%99t-add-up/#comment-30858 Another thing both the City and State can do is to make available to the full crash data sets to the public. Right now, such data must be FOILed. Another thing both the City and State can do is to make available to the full crash data sets to the public. Right now, such data must be FOILed.

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