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Home > Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety > Pedestrian Forum Newsletter > Winter 2002

Pedestrian Forum – Winter 2002

Safe Pedestrians and a Walkable America
VOL. 19, Winter 2002

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/

The goal of the FHWA is to continually improve highway safety by reducing highway fatalities and injuries by 20 percent in ten years. Ensuring safe travel on highways is the guiding principle throughout the FHWA. Pedestrian fatalities account for about 12 percent of all traffic fatalities and are one of the focus areas of the Safety Office. FHWA has taken the position that walking and bicycling are legitimate modes of transportation.

There is no question that conditions for bicycling and walking need to be improved in every community in the United States; it is no longer acceptable that over 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed in traffic every year, that people with disabilities cannot travel without encountering barriers, and that two desirable and efficient modes of travel have been made difficult and uncomfortable.

Every transportation agency has the responsibility and the opportunity to make a difference in the bicycle-friendliness and walkability of our communities. The design information to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians is available, as is the funding. The United States Department of Transportation is committed to doing all it can to improve conditions for bicycling and walking and to make them safer ways to travel. (The "Pedestrian Forum" is also on the web at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/)

Walk to School Day 2001

On Tuesday, October 2, millions of children and adults from around the world walked to school in this annual event. According to the Walk to School Website, http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/

"Walk to School Day 2001 was a great success! The day was about children, adults and community leaders walking to school together to recognize the benefits of walking and the need to create communities that are safe places to walk."

. . .and There's More!

Speaking of walking to school, teachers in the U.K. believe that children who walk to school are more alert and healthier than kids who get a ride. This information comes from a survey conducted by the U.K. DTLR, which found the following:

• 87 percent of teachers questioned believe that walking to school gives children a chance to wake up fully before they reach the classroom;
• 60 percent believe that walking to school enables children to settle down once in the classroom;
• 90 percent believe that walking to school enables children to become more aware of their local environment; and
• 93 percent believe that walking to school makes children more aware of road-safety issue

The information is contained in a booklet - "Safer Journey to School" which is a guide to school travel plans for parents, teachers and principals. It, contains advice on how to encourage more sustainable communities that make it easier to get to and from school. It is available free of charge by phoning DFES publications on 0845-602-2260, quoting reference SRTS99.

(Source: ITE Journal, December 2001, page 17)

ADA Design Charette in San Antonio

The PROWAAC Committee is planning another all-day design charette on April 3 in San Antonio, Texas. The workshop is being held as part of a TxDOT Design Conference. Elizabeth Hilton has arranged this opportunity; she plans to limit participation in the workshop to 100 people. To ensure audience balance, those interested in attending must apply by Feb. 11. Elizabeth will review the applications and select a representative group to participate in the session. If you do plan to participate in the Workshop, you must register for the Design Conference. Workshop registration can only be done on-line and Committee members need to register immediately, before the general registration fills up.

Please go to http://tti.tamu.edu/conferences/design/ for info.

FHWA Bike/Ped Program Personnel Changes

Jim Schmid, former state trails coordinator in South Carolina, has joined John Fegan's team in the Human Environment office of the Environment and Planning CBU. Jim will be working with Christopher Douwes to administer the Recreational Trails program, and on implementation of the Trails Training Partnership with American Trails. John Fegan has Jim working on a range of pedestrian issues. Jim is an on-site contractor with Arrowhead. Contact Jim at jim.schmid@igate.fhwa.dot.gov or 202-366-9766

Carol Tan Esse, manager of the FHWA's Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Research Program, gave birth to Stephen Wen Esse on November 15. He weighed in at 8 pounds and was 21 and 3/4 inches in length. Carol will be on maternity leave until Spring of 2002, so if you have any questions about FHWA's ongoing bicycle and pedestrian research activities, contact Ann Do until then. Ann can be reached at 202-493-3319

WHAT's NEW?

Retroreflectivity Poster

The FHWA's Safety Core Business Unit just released a poster that highlights the need for pedestrians to be more visible at night. The purpose of the poster is to demonstrate how much more visible pedestrians are who are wearing retroreflective materials at night - they can be seen about 2 to 3 times further away than those not wearing retroreflective materials. The poster has been sent to all FHWA Division Offices, but is also available to anyone else who would like one. Additional copies can be obtained via the web at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_bike_order/ or by contacting leverson.boodlal@fhwa.dot.gov.

Draft Rails-with-Trails: Lessons Learned

The above document is available for comment from concerned stakeholders until January 30, 2002 (any received after then cannot be considered). The document can be viewed at: http://www.altaplanning.com/projects/rails/index.html. Provide comments to Mia Birk, Principal, Alta Transportation Consulting, 122 NE 28th Ave, Portland OR 97232; phone 503-230-9862; fax 503-230-9864; email: miabirk@altaplanning.com; website: www.altaplanning.com. You are encouraged to send comments by email.

Any other comments or questions about this project, should be directed to Christopher Douwes, Federal Highway Administration, at 202-366-5013, email: christopher.douwes@fhwa.dot.gov, or Pamela Foggin, Federal Railroad Administration, at 202-493-6291, email: pamela.caldwell.foggin@fra.dot.gov.

FHWA PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INTERSECTION-SAFETY INFORMATION

FHWA's Office of Research, Development and Technology recently posted a series of papers and reports that address pedestrian and bicycle safety. The publications can be found at the following locations:

Evaluation of Automated Pedestrian Detection at
Signalized Intersections
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00097/00097.pdf

The Effects of Innovative Pedestrian Signs at
Unsignalized Locations
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00098/00098.pdf

An Evaluation of Illuminated Pedestrian Push Button
in Windsor, Ontario
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00102/00102.pdf

Pedestrian Crosswalk Case Studies: Richmond,
Virginia; Buffalo, New York; Stillwater, Minnesota
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00103/00103.pdf

he Effects of Traffic Calming Measures on
Pedestrian and Motorist Behavior
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00104/00104.pdf

An Evaluation of High-Visibility Crosswalk
Treatment-Clearwater, Florida
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/00105/00105.pdf

PUBLISHED

ADA "Part Two" Report Released

The new FHWA Administrator, Mary Peters, has signed a cover letter to accompany the recently published 500 page document, Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access: Part 2, allowing the report to be sent to all FHWA field offices and hundreds of people who have requested the new guide. The report is a companion to Designing Sidewalks and Trails, Part I, Review of Existing Guidelines and Practices (1999). It is comprehensive and detailed for transportation practitioners, but written in an easy to understand language for those with less technical backgrounds trying to implement accessibility practices in communities.

Hard copies of Part II are available by faxing a request to the FHWA Report Center, 301-577-1421. If you would like 5 or more copies, please fax your request to the DOT Warehouse, 301-386-5394. Include your street address (no PO Boxes), city, state, zip and phone number with your request. The Report Center and Warehouse are the only outlets for mailing reports. Other FHWA staff offices and the Pedestrian Information Center do not have the staff or facilities to handle report requests.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

January

• 13-17   Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
  http://www4.trb.org/trb/annual.nsf (See the attachment to this newsletter for a full schedule of bike/ped sessions).

March

• 6-8 National Bike Summit, Washington, DC.
  www.bikeleague.org

April

• 4-5    PROWAAC Committee meeting, San Antonio, TX;
  www.access-board.gov

• 8-10 Nevada Statewide Bicycle/Pedestrian Conference, Reno.
  bicycle@dot.state.nv.us

May

• 8-9 Third Walk21 International Walking Conference, San Sebastian, Spain.
  carlos@2ados.com

Editors:
leverson.boodlal@fhwa.dot.gov, 202-366-8044
tamara.broyhill@fhwa.dot.gov, 202-366-4077
400 7^th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590

Attachment

Program Contact

Tamara Redmon
tamara.redmon@dot.gov
202-366-4077

Dick Schaffer
dick.schaffer@dot.gov
202-366-2176

What’s New

The FHWA Safety Office is continually developing new materials to assist states, localities and citizens in improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. The materials listed on this page were completed recently.

New Spotlight on Pedestrian Safety

New Promoting the Implementation of Proven Pedestrian Countermeasures

Pedestrian Forum - Fall 2011

State Best Practice Policy for Medians

State Best Practice Policy for Shoulders and Walkways

Pedestrian Countermeasure Policy Best Practice Report

The State of Florida is developing a statewide Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. They have set up a project website that includes information about the project, workshop presentations and resources relating to pedestrian safety.

Evaluating Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures

Safety Benefits of Raised Medians and Pedestrian Refuge Areas: Brochure, Booklet

Safety Benefits of Walkways, Sidewalks, and Paved Shoulders: Brochure, Booklet

Pedestrian Safety Strategic Plan