2013-dot-sustainable-streets-lowres

SAFETY“Interventions to make the built environmentsafer can greatly reduce injuries to childrenas they walk to school”—Charles DiMaggio, Columbia UniversitySAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLNYCDOT has also been a pioneer inrealigning road–beds. CapitalDOT has identified an additionalin 2013, Safe Routes to Schoolimproving safety around schools.improvements—such as sidewalkgroup of 175 public, private andmeasures reduced child injuryDOT’s multifaceted approachextensions, pedestrian islands,parochial elementary middle andrates during peak times by 44%.seeks to protect children fromraised medians and sidewalkhigh schools as Safe Routes toThe research looked at crashspeeding and aggressive drivingwidening projects at the 135School priorities. Individualizeddata encompassing 169,000through a combination of streetschools identified by DOT as topplanning studies are underway orpedestrian injuries from 2001 todesign changes, new regulations,safety priorities are underway.complete for each school and short2010 to assess the effectivenessbetter enforcement, and innovativeShorter–term safety improvementsterm improvements have started.of the program for children ageseducation programs.at these schools are complete.The schools were selected after5 through 19. “Interventions toDOT inaugurated the first SafeThey include new traffic andDOT staff evaluated conditionsmake the built environment saferRoutes to School effort in thepedestrian signals, the additionat the city’s 1,700 primary andcan greatly reduce injuries toUnited States in the Bronx in 1997,of exclusive pedestrian crossingsecondary schools. The programchildren as they walk to school”,with parents and safety advocates.time, speed humps, speed boards,includes partnership with parents,said the study’s lead author CharlesA citywide Safe Routes to Schoolhigh visibility crosswalks and newteachers and studentsDiMaggio, research directorprogram began in 2002.parking regulations. These designNew York’s Safe Routes toof Columbia’s Center for InjuryMajor street work for Safechanges are strongly reinforcedSchool program has been highlyEpidemiology and PreventionRoutes to School occurs in cycleswith speed regulation in schoolsuccessful. According to aat Columbia.because of its capital–intensivezones, described below inColumbia University School ofnature, such as moving curbs andChapter 2.Public Health study published26Chapter 1: Designing Safe Streets