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PEDS Moves GDOT to Consider Dedicated Ped Safety Funding |
On a dark November morning, Altamesa Walker and her four children were struck by a car near a Cobb Community Transit bus stop on five-lane South Cobb Drive. Four-year old Brandee was killed. Tragedies like this occur far too often in metro Atlanta. Thanks to the generous support of our members
and donors, PEDS' campaign for safe crossings at bus stops is making a
difference. Early this year, we prompted the Atlanta Regional Commission to identify crash locations. Research confirmed that bus stops are
pedestrian crash magnets. Next, we organized a stakeholders meeting and field trip for transportation professionals. (See video here.) In May we contributed to a front-page article in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution highlighting the lack of safe options for pedestrians crossing wide suburban roads.
The result: GDOT officials are considering dedicating 10 percent of the state's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to pedestrian safety. Georgia receives $30 to $60 million in federal HSIP funds each year to address safety problems. To date, GDOT has used little of this money to mitigate pedestrian hazards, despite the fact that pedestrians account for 10 percent of Georgia's traffic fatalities.
PEDS applauds GDOT officials for recognizing the need to dedicate a fair share of safety funding to people on foot. Half the state's pedestrian fatalities occur in metro Atlanta, so it's likely that half the dedicated funds would be used to address hazards here. With your support, PEDS will continue encouraging GDOT to move forward on this much-needed policy change.
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GDOT Expands its Pedestrian Safety Toolbox
| FHWA Approves Rapid Flash Beacons for
Statewide Use In response to our request, the Georgia Department of Transportation asked the Federal Highway
Administration to approve installing Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons at selected
crossings on state roads throughout Georgia. FHWA recently approved GDOT's request, so we expect these innovative devices to hit the streets
soon. PEDS commends GDOT and FHWA for expanding the state's safety toolbox.
Rectangular
Rapid Flash Beacons are pedestrian-activated yellow lights that supplement
warning signs at unsignalized intersections or midblock crossings. The
beacons have an irregular flash pattern, similar to flashers on police
vehicles. Following
installation of these low-cost devices in St. Petersburg, Florida,
driver compliance with crosswalk laws increased to 88 percent.
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Georgia: 28th State to Ban Texting While Driving
| Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law two bills that limit distracted driving. The first prohibits
all drivers from sending or reading text messages while driving. The second
makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to use a cell phone while
driving, even when stopped at red lights.
Thanks to all of you who asked elected officials to support these bills.
Recent survey results on cell phone distraction show that adult drivers are even more likely than teens to talk on cell phones while driving. Too bad the legislature didn't ban all cell phone use while driving.
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Balancing Regional Efficiency and Urban Livability
| Seeking Sustainability, Plan 2040 Combines Land Use & Transportation The Atlanta Regional Commission is developing Plan 2040, a regional plan to accommodate economic and population growth sustainably over the next 30 years. PEDS applauds Plan 2040's big picture focus on sustainability -- and its goal of balancing the region's environmental, social, and economic needs by combining land use and transportation planning.
ARC & GDOT Programs Place Regional Efficiency over Local Needs PEDS is concerned by ARC's proposed Strategic Regional Thoroughfare Plan, which the agency will use to evaluate transportation projects for funding. According to the SRTP Fact Sheet, the program seeks
to "maintain travel efficiency" and "maximize the effectiveness of the system as a whole rather than its
individual segments." Put simply, planners want a small number of selected roads to be managed in ways that favor long distance travel over the needs of local users.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Department of Transportation is implementing a
new signalization program on selected
corridors of regional significance. Seeking to minimize delay for motor vehicles, GDOT has offered to install and
maintain signals on local streets in exchange for gaining control over
signal
timing. Some 29 percent of the proposed signal upgrades are in the City of
Atlanta.
Efficiency for Cars Usually Comes at the Expense of Pedestrians Operating roads for efficiency often means increased vehicle speeds, infrequent crossings, and long delays for pedestrians. Like ARC's thoroughfare program, GDOT's signal program
could lead to long wait times for pedestrians seeking to cross
Peachtree, Piedmont, Ponce de Leon, Roswell, and other major roads. The programs could also increase barriers to installing safe crossings at locations that are not controlled by signals.
PEDS wrote to ARC and GDOT officials to share our concerns about the programs. In response, ARC amended its definition of
"thoroughfare" by incorporating "safety for all users" and a vague reference to "appropriate land use guidelines." We expect to hear from GDOT soon. With your support, PEDS will remain involved and speak up for the needs of pedestrians as details of these programs unfold.
Take Action: Participate in ARC's online public meeting ARC is using "online meetings" to solicit public input on Plan 2040. The 2nd meeting, which contains a brief video, presentation, and survey is available here. This is your opportunity to speak up for promoting walkable communities. Please take part.
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Help make it safer to cross the street!
| Thanks to support from our members and donors, PEDS is prompting government agencies to research pedestrian fatalities, authorize new safety devices, and consider dedicated pedestrian safety funding. And with your further generous support, we can do even more.
If you're not yet a member, please join us in this urgent effort to create safe crossings at bus stops.
making metro Atlanta walkable, step by step |
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