NYMTC Regional Pedestrian Safety Study - New York Metropolitan ...

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS
As noted in Chapter 2, pedestrian crashes and fatalities have been declining in the NYMTC
Region over the past decade. However, there are still a significant number of crashes; in 2004,
there were 13,328 pedestrian crashes in the region resulting in 249 pedestrian fatalities and
13,492 pedestrian injuries (see Table 2.1). Also, pedestrian crashes have been increasing in
some of the counties, particularly those with growing populations. Thus, there is still room for
additional efforts to improve pedestrian safety. This section makes some specific
recommendations to that end. Note that specific countermeasures are not included here. Many
countermeasures are described in Chapter 5; while some specific countermeasures (see Table
5.5) have been shown to be particularly effective in reducing pedestrian crashes, the
countermeasures to be used at a specific site should be determined by an analysis of that site.
7.1 Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
Each jurisdiction should establish a policy on how pedestrian safety will be integrated into the
planning and design of transportation facilities. Because of the wide differences in the
characteristics of the region, the approach to pedestrian safety should be individualized. Some
general features should be considered, however.
♦ Establish a policy that pedestrian safety is part of every project.
♦ Develop a sidewalk plan. The plan would indicate where sidewalks are needed or will be
needed given future growth in the area. Having such a plan as an integral component of
the CEQR and SEQR process would make it easier to include pedestrian infrastructure in
projects when roads are being built or rehabilitated. It would also facilitate better control
the scope and scale of pedestrian facilities desired in new developments. Sidewalks/paths
should be included on local government’s official map.
♦ Recognize the link between land use and pedestrian safety.
♦ Creation of special pedestrian zones for children or seniors. In areas with high
concentrations of more vulnerable pedestrians, for example, near schools or senior
centers, the design standards should be adapted to the users. For example, slower
walking times for traffic signals could be used in senior pedestrian zones if analysis
indicates that they would be beneficial to a majority of the intersection users. Schools
should accept responsibility for student access on their grounds and in adjoining area.
♦ Recognize the natural connection between pedestrians and transit. The sidewalk plan
should include the location of transit stops and how pedestrians access them.
♦ Establish a Road Safety Audit program to address known high crash locations.
7.2 Promote Coordination and Collaboration
Pedestrian safety information and efforts should be coordinated. There are several aspects to
coordination:
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 101