Feet First’s look at pedestrian news for the week of September 14, 2012.
WEEKLY WALK AROUND THE NEWS
Posted by Kerry Dirk
September 14, 2012
Local
Half of the city’s traffic deaths between 2007 and 2010 involved pedestrians and bicyclists, with 11 intersections being especially dangerous, earning a high collision designation. View a slideshow of these intersections, and know to pay extra attention in these areas if you find yourself there as either a pedestrian or a driver.
If you plan to walk or drive in downtown Redmond between September 18 and 25, take care to obey the crosswalk laws, as the local police plan extra enforcement of the area.
As I noted in last week’s WATN, Metro route changes will start on September 29. Check out a summary of these important changes, with links to important tools for riders.
As work continues on the University of Washington Pedestrian/Bike Bridge construction, you’ll want to pay attention to closures and restrictions. This weekend, from Friday at 7PM to Sunday at 6PM, all Northbound lanes and one Southbound lane on Montlake will be closed, in addition to the east sidewalk on Montlake Blvd.
The Alliance for Pioneer Square shares its current efforts the area as a part of a 5-year initiate to improve business health. In addition to brand new banners, and an increasing social media presence, they have also been offering free historic walking tours, which start at 3PM every Friday in Occidental Park and will continue through the end of September.
National
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is holding a free webinar next Wednesday, September 19, from 10:00 AM 11:30 AM PDT. The webinar will focus on two communities’ efforts to improve their public health through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work program.
Citizens of and visitors to Memphis will see fines increased for jaywalking. Currently subject to a $5 fine, violators will soon have to pay up to ten times that amount. Memphis is currently the 7th most dangerous metro area of the 54 largest in the nation. So if you’re walking in Memphis, make sure that you’re walking with your feet in the crosswalk.
Nine new communities were recently designated ‘walk friendly’, including Washington, DC, bringing the total list to 33 communities across the nation. Chosen by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, communities are awarded one of four levels: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze. Currently, Seattle is the only Platinum-level walk friendly community.
You can now download America Walks’ Steps to a Walkable Community: a Guide for Citizens, Planners, and Engineers. This guide is full of successful strategies to improve walking in communities around the nation.
International
If you’ve ever been annoyed at drivers who stray into crosswalks while waiting at intersections, you’re not alone. A Jiu Jitsu team in Brazil, which has a high rate of pedestrian fatalities, are staging pedestrian-safety efforts as a part of its Respect Life, Respect the Crosswalk campaign. Here’s what happened when one driver strayed into the crosswalk.
An architect in London has proposed a new type of bike lane for London: a separate, elevated bike highway. The enclosed structure would increase the efficiency of cycling and get riders off of the busy streets.