Comments on: A Pedestrian Is Killed, So Let’s Ticket — Pedestrians? http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/ 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: Scott Price http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-223751 Scott Price Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:41:50 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-223751 Yes, Legally Pedestrians must obey traffic laws but I believe this topic has had the same result since when pedestrians cross paths with Horse drawn carriages and such. The problem with this debate is that even tho we make crosswalks and traffic signs to allow crossing pedestrian traffic it does not guarantee that in the right set of circumstances that even when legally crossing a street you can get hurt or killed. The whole thought process about Road Design and Safety is lacking and truthfully backwards with the exception of Truman and Veterans Parkway (away from populated areas and elevated!). Savannah like many other Cities has seen these sorts of Traffic accidents only increase. Barricades (for Multi-Lane Ave/Blvd), Lighting, Reduction in Distractions (ie Signs) and Road Design (rumble strips spaced every 10th of mile or less based on Population density) would definitely curb many accidents. My problem with this whole topic there is more Safety factored in when designing an Interstate than Speed Regulation and Crosswalks of Cities and how many real speeding tickets could Officers be issuing. Interstates have Rumble Strips in the breakdown area, Concrete Dividers and better lighting. It should be apparent that these Safety rules are set by the each State with the goal of protecting Commercial Truckers and POV's. It is the Cities and the bloated bureaucracy that can make the difference in the City. This will only happen when everyone agrees that more should be done to stop accidents. Redesigning Cars would help as well. Protecting life should be paramount. Using the suggestions I have mentioned will reduce accidents. I could add more. The reason I'm chiming in is 1. I saw my best friend get hit by a car in the 70's (he survived). 2. My brother was killed in Savannah Nov 09 crossing Abercorn St. Yes, Legally Pedestrians must obey traffic laws but I believe this topic has had the same result since when pedestrians cross paths with Horse drawn carriages and such. The problem with this debate is that even tho we make crosswalks and traffic signs to allow crossing pedestrian traffic it does not guarantee that in the right set of circumstances that even when legally crossing a street you can get hurt or killed. The whole thought process about Road Design and Safety is lacking and truthfully backwards with the exception of Truman and Veterans Parkway (away from populated areas and elevated!). Savannah like many other Cities has seen these sorts of Traffic accidents only increase. Barricades (for Multi-Lane Ave/Blvd), Lighting, Reduction in Distractions (ie Signs) and Road Design (rumble strips spaced every 10th of mile or less based on Population density) would definitely curb many accidents. My problem with this whole topic there is more Safety factored in when designing an Interstate than Speed Regulation and Crosswalks of Cities and how many real speeding tickets could Officers be issuing. Interstates have Rumble Strips in the breakdown area, Concrete Dividers and better lighting. It should be apparent that these Safety rules are set by the each State with the goal of protecting Commercial Truckers and POV’s. It is the Cities and the bloated bureaucracy that can make the difference in the City. This will only happen when everyone agrees that more should be done to stop accidents. Redesigning Cars would help as well. Protecting life should be paramount. Using the suggestions I have mentioned will reduce accidents. I could add more. The reason I’m chiming in is

1. I saw my best friend get hit by a car in the 70′s (he survived).
2. My brother was killed in Savannah Nov 09 crossing Abercorn St.

]]> By: Damien Goodmon http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-68783 Damien Goodmon Wed, 27 May 2009 19:03:19 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-68783 Long ago we said "We should remind Metro that in our society the penalty for jaywalking is not death." If you look at the way people in particular at-grade rail advocates demonize those hit by idiotic street-level trains in LA you'd think it were. Long ago we said “We should remind Metro that in our society the penalty for jaywalking is not death.”

If you look at the way people in particular at-grade rail advocates demonize those hit by idiotic street-level trains in LA you’d think it were.

]]> By: Mark Walker http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-68626 Mark Walker Sat, 23 May 2009 19:32:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-68626 I'm a little handicapped by my lack of German language skills. But Germany as a whole had 10.9 pedestrian road fatalities per million population in 2005, according to <a href="http://www.theaa.com/public_affairs/news/aa-pedestrian-crossings-in-europe-survey.html" rel="nofollow">this story</a>. In NYC, we kill about 250 peds per year in a population of 8 million, which would be about 31 per million. So it's approximately three times more dangerous to be a ped on the street in NYC than in Germany. Anecdotally and subjectively, I can say I've always felt safer in European cities, though it varies from place to place. Rome feels as dangerous to me as NY, while car-free Venice feels like the safest place in the world. I’m a little handicapped by my lack of German language skills. But Germany as a whole had 10.9 pedestrian road fatalities per million population in 2005, according to this story. In NYC, we kill about 250 peds per year in a population of 8 million, which would be about 31 per million. So it’s approximately three times more dangerous to be a ped on the street in NYC than in Germany. Anecdotally and subjectively, I can say I’ve always felt safer in European cities, though it varies from place to place. Rome feels as dangerous to me as NY, while car-free Venice feels like the safest place in the world.

]]> By: al oof http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-68616 al oof Sat, 23 May 2009 04:09:51 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-68616 mark, what are the statistics on pedestrian death in munich? is it significantly different than other cities? mark, what are the statistics on pedestrian death in munich? is it significantly different than other cities?

]]> By: Eric Fredericks http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-68592 Eric Fredericks Fri, 22 May 2009 16:32:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-68592 Sarah- In Sacramento, the police here have started crosswalk stings to ticket drivers that disobey the California yield to pedestrians law. A recent sting fined 26 drivers more than $160 each: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/021618.html Hopefully this continues and spreads to other cities as well. Sarah- In Sacramento, the police here have started crosswalk stings to ticket drivers that disobey the California yield to pedestrians law. A recent sting fined 26 drivers more than $160 each: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/021618.html

Hopefully this continues and spreads to other cities as well.

]]> By: Mark Walker http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/22/a-pedestrian-is-killed-so-lets-ticket-pedestrians/comment-page-1/#comment-68575 Mark Walker Fri, 22 May 2009 14:56:36 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6223#comment-68575 Legally, in theory, pedestrians are obligated to obey the law, no ifs ands or buts. In practice, in NYC, it's every street user for himself, with the result that lawbreaking peds wrongly inconvenience motorists and bikers. I often find myself hanging back at a red light while other peds cross illegally (and unethically) causing motorists or the occasional biker to slam on their brakes. However, if there are no cars coming, I do cross against the red, as do most people here. The most law-abiding peds I've ever seen are in Munich, where people will wait for the light to go green even if the street is empty of cars or bikes. The benefit of living in a such a society where everyone is a stickler for the rules is that the streets there are, overall, much safer to walk in, the atmosphere is more civil, and the experience of being on the street is less threatening and fatiguing. Legally, in theory, pedestrians are obligated to obey the law, no ifs ands or buts. In practice, in NYC, it’s every street user for himself, with the result that lawbreaking peds wrongly inconvenience motorists and bikers. I often find myself hanging back at a red light while other peds cross illegally (and unethically) causing motorists or the occasional biker to slam on their brakes. However, if there are no cars coming, I do cross against the red, as do most people here. The most law-abiding peds I’ve ever seen are in Munich, where people will wait for the light to go green even if the street is empty of cars or bikes. The benefit of living in a such a society where everyone is a stickler for the rules is that the streets there are, overall, much safer to walk in, the atmosphere is more civil, and the experience of being on the street is less threatening and fatiguing.

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