Metro Atlanta Ranked 10th Worst for Pedestrians
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Dangerous by Design (PDF), a report released last week by Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Group, ranked Atlanta as the nation's 10th most dangerous large metropolitan area.
PEDS isn't surprised. In the region's 5 core counties:- 3 pedestrians are struck by drivers every day.
- 60 pedestrians were killed and more than 1,000 were injured in 2008.
- Safe crossings are few and far between on high speed, multi-lane streets.
Metro Atlanta ranks poorly because our transportation agencies don't invest enough in sidewalks and safe crossings. Pedestrians account for 9.7 percent of all traffic deaths in Georgia. Yet only
1.7 percent of Georgia's federal transportation funds are used for pedestrian facilities.
PEDS partnered with the Livable Communities Coalition to release the report to local media. Watch the CBS News Video or listen to WABE's radio broadcast of the story.
Metro Atlanta's poor ranking is a call to action. Transportation agencies must:
- retrofit multi-lane roads with sidewalks, safe and convenient crossings and infrastructure that discourages speeding.
- commit a fair share of transportation funding - at least 9.7 percent - to projects that support pedestrian safety.
- adopt "complete streets" policies to ensure future transportation investments safely accommodate all transportation users.
TAKE ACTION: DEMAND SAFER STREETS! Every six years Congress sets the country's transportation priorities.This year's reauthorization of the federal transportation bill is
our best chance to create a system where
pedestrians and cyclists are safe and public
transportation is widely available.
Make sure your representatives and senators hear your voice. Please sign Transportation for America's petition calling for bold change.
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PEDS Recognizes Pedestrian-friendly Projects, People and Places |
In a region where pedestrians often remain an
afterthought, eight Golden Shoe Award winners are raising the bar and doing
their part to address the needs of people on foot. PEDS recently presented Golden Shoe Awards to people, projects and places that have contributed
significantly this year to making metro Atlanta
communities more walkable. See photos from this year's event. (TRB Imagery)
Pedestrian-friendly Road Diet: Midtown Alliance for eliminating dangerous right turn lanes and
converting two lanes of Peachtree Street in Midtown to parking spaces, median
refuge islands and an inviting gathering place for people on foot.
Pedestrian-friendly Development: Selig Enterprises and Daniel
Corporation, for the 1010 Building, a high-density, mixed-use development
that is transforming an entire block of Peachtree Street in Midtown into a magnet
for pedestrians.
Pedestrian-friendly Public Engagement: City of Atlanta and Glatting
Jackson, for the Connect Atlanta Plan's
public engagement process, which educated Atlantans about the contributions
short blocks and a well-connected street grid make to creating truly walkable
communities.
Pedestrian-friendly Traffic
Operations: City of Suwanee, for installing Georgia's first HAWK signal, an
innovative tool for creating safer street crossings at locations where
traditional traffic signals are not warranted.
Pedestrian-friendly Enforcement: Georgia
State University Police, for addressing risks created by people who talk on
cell phones or text while driving. GSU police issued 100 "failure to show due
care" citations to motorists using cell phones while violating crosswalk or
other laws.
Pedestrian-friendly Activism: Jim Durrett, a champion for smart growth
whose leadership at the Livable
Communities Coalition and the Urban Land Institute created thriving regional organizations
that encourage compact, pedestrian-friendly development and transportation
investments linked to land use.
Pedestrian-friendly Journalism: Writer John
Becker, whose Take to Task columns
in the AJC, are bringing attention to
perils for pedestrians caused by broken infrastructure and for his persistent
efforts to hold government officials accountable for addressing hazards.
Funding Pedestrian-friendly
Education: The Buckhead Coalition, for offering to pay 75 percent of the
cost of speed radar signs in Buckhead neighborhoods. By providing instant
feedback on driving speed, radar signs encourage motorists to slow down.
PEDS extends special thanks to board member Lisa Frank of Frank Relations for chairing this year's event and veteran television reporter Sally Sears for serving as emcee. |
Hazard Reporting Tool Expands its Reach |
We've added 7 new jurisdictions to our popular hazard reporting tool. In addition to the nine jurisdictions already served by the tool, pedestrians can now report hazards in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and unincorporated Cobb and Gwinnett counties.
When reporting pedestrian hazards, pictures are worth a thousand words. When you notice a busted sidewalk, ill-fitting water meter cover, or other problem, photograph it. Then upload the picture with your online hazard report.
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