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

easy to use is residential population, but it does not take into consideration how much
people walk, particularly in daytime employment or shopping areas, or the environment
in which they are walking. Explore using the new models that predict pedestrian flows.
♦ Institute a working group or ad hoc committee to develop a data policy and plan that
would address the items above. At a minimum, the group should include representatives
from GTSC, NYSDMV, NYSDOT, and NYSDOH at the state level, as well as from
state, county and municipal police departments, and county and municipal planning and
traffic engineering departments.
7.6 Develop a Plan for Funding Pedestrian Safety Projects
Many agencies expressed a problem in funding pedestrian safety projects, despite the fact that
pedestrian safety is both a federal and state priority. Agencies report specific difficulty in
funding stand-alone sidewalk projects and sidewalk maintenance including snow removal,
educational programs, providing safety gear such as reflective materials to high-risk nonmotorized
road users.
♦ NYMTC should develop a plan or set of recommendations for funding different types of
pedestrian safety projects.
♦ Sidewalk plans, as described in Section 7.1, should be developed and funded through
development fees.
7.7 Identify a Pedestrian Advocate
Pedestrian advocates should be established within the various organizations, similar to the
pedestrian/bicycle coordinators for the three NYSDOT regions in the NYMTC region. Some of
the functions of the advocates would be:
♦ Maintain an awareness of pedestrian safety.
♦ Remind agencies that the planning process should include pedestrian safety.
♦ Remind agencies that they need to meet federal standards for including pedestrian safety
when they are applying for federal money.
♦ Alert engineers of new techniques and opportunities for training in pedestrian safety.
♦ Advocate for consistent laws that promote pedestrian safety, such as no-right-turn-on-red
laws in high pedestrian areas and the use of red light cameras.
♦ Act as a liaison for inter-agency coordination.
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 105