Creating Safe Crossings to Transit
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Half of Pedestrian Crashes Occur Close to Bus Stops
Click map to enlarge.  | Do people who walk to bus stops face an especially high risk of being hit or killed in a crash? After PEDS President Sally Flocks raised that question at an Atlanta Regional Commission meeting, ARC Safety Planner Talya Trudell studied the state's crash database to find out.
What she discovered was alarming. In the 18-county metro Atlanta region, 48 percent of all pedestrian crashes from 2004 through 2008 occurred within 300 feet of a bus stop. One fourth of pedestrian crashes occurred within 100 feet of a bus stop.
When Used
Alone, Crosswalks Are Rarely Enough
As PEDS reported in 2002, a federal study showed that crosswalks should be supplemented
with other
measures that create shorter crossings, reduce speeding, or increase
driver awareness when used on multi-lane roads with high traffic volumes
and speed limits of 40 mph or higher.
Removing
Crosswalks is Not the Answer
The Georgia Department of
Transportation, unfortunately, responded to the study by removing marked crosswalks when streets are
resurfaced. Rather than supplement existing crosswalks with other
measures, GDOT overlooked pedestrians' right to cross the road safely and without unreasonable delay.
"The real issue is about having pedestrians cross at a safe,
controlled location -- with either stop signs or traffic signals," GDOT
spokesman Mark McKinnon explained. Sounds
good in theory. But as GDOT engineers know, traffic signals and stop
signs are few and far between on most multi-lane transit routes in the
region. And as GDOT also knows,  the Manual of Uniform Traffic
Control Devices prohibits installing traffic signals and stop signs
at most locations where pedestrians currently struggle to cross multi-lane
streets.
People want to cross safely. Yet
with no crosswalks or signals in sight, most wait for partial gaps,
stand in two-way center turn lanes, dodge turning cars, and sprint to
the other side. See for yourself.
PEDS Challenges Agencies to
Focus on Solutions
To engage transportation
professionals in developing solutions that work, PEDS hosted a
stakeholders meeting focused specifically on safe crossings to transit.
Representatives of GDOT, ARC, MARTA, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and
Gwinnett counties, and the cities of Atlanta, Marietta, Roswell and
Sandy Springs all attended.
 After PEDS laid
out the problem and called for solutions, the group boarded a MARTA bus and headed north on
Roswell Road. The bus made several stops, letting off passengers in
groups of four. People were on their own to cross the busy five-lane
road and wait for the bus to pick them up on the other side.
Everyone made it, yet a few expressed feeling vulnerable when
dodging speeding cars with nowhere to hide. Click to watch video.
After
returning to the meeting space, participants discussed funding sources,
prioritization, and next steps. PEDS recommended creating a task force
to refine solutions and maintain the positive momentum for safety
improvements. Several participants volunteered to serve on the task
force. We will recruit others and schedule the first meeting soon.
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Wire Hazards: Georgia Power Steps Up to the Plate
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 Media attention generated by our March 2010 Wire Hunt prompted Georgia Power officials to meet with PEDS President & CEO Sally Flocks to develop ways we can work together to eliminate wire hazards in the public right of way.
Although most of the downed wires belong to Comcast, AT&T and other utility companies, Georgia Power offered to create a special email address for wire hazard reports. This will eliminate the need for local governments to serve as middlemen in processing complaints. PEDS commends Georgia Power for taking a leadership role aimed at eliminating wire hazards.
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 Help make metro Atlanta walkable!   
PEDS is a member-based advocacy group dedicated to making metro Atlanta safe and accessible for all pedestrians. 404-522-3666 peds.org
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