Urban sprawl, congested roads, and frustrated drivers have made walking a dangerous activity throughout the nation’s metropolitan areas. In 1998, pedestrians accounted for almost 13% of all traffic fatalities in the US, and almost one out of every five traffic fatalities in Florida involves a pedestrian. The 2000 Surface Transportation Policy Project report ranked the Tampa Bay metropolitan area as the most dangerous place for people to walk. The Courtesy Promotes Safety program utilized a multidisciplinary (“triple E”) approach to realize a strong positive impact on pedestrian safety in three Canadian cities. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) hoped that a similar program would prove successful in St. Petersburg, Florida, and contracted with the Center for Urban Transportation Research to lead the research efforts. CUTR worked with Drs. Malenfant and Van Houten (developers of Courtesy Promotes Safety) to complete three major project tasks: a 5-step community assessment, program implementation, and program evaluation. The project attempted to show that a strategy of combined engineering, education, and enforcement efforts improves motorists’ yielding behavior to pedestrians in crosswalks and reduces the number of pedestrian-motor vehicle conflicts. In addition, researchers strove to increase feelings of comfort and safety among pedestrians. This paper and presentation will identify specific pedestrian safety issues in the community, describe the many engineering countermeasures utilized in the city, discuss community education efforts, and outline enforcement actions taken. In addition, the paper will also describe the project in detail and discuss challenges faced during program implementation.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Apply a 5-step process to assess pedestrian safety-related conditions in a community. 2. Identify several education, engineering, and enforcement countermeasures that contribute to increased levels of pedestrian safety and feelings of comfort. 3. Prioritize elements of a multidisciplinary program to reduce pedestrian-motor vehicle conflicts and increase drivers' yielding behavior.
Keywords: Motor Vehicles, Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.