In case folks didn't see yesterday's Cap Times, there was a very good article on the dangers of being a pedestrian in the US. Note both the statistic on the percent of trips made by foot vs. the percent of deaths. Also note the percent of transportation dollars spent on bike and pedestrian safety.
If anyone would like to see the full report from STPP, go to www.transact.org PEDESTRIAN SAFETY QUESTIONED ; GROUPS WANT MORE FUNDING Madison Capital Times; Madison, Wis.; Nov 21, 2002; Bill Novak The Capital Times; Abstract: Nationally, the most dangerous metro areas for pedestrians are in Florida and other parts of the South, with only one Wisconsin area, Milwaukee-Racine, listed in the top 50 at No. 46. Ninety-eight pedestrians died along Wisconsin roads in 2000 and 2001, with about a third of those deaths occurring in the Milwaukee-Racine metropolitan area. Wisconsin spends 1.1 percent of its federal transportation funds on bicycle and pedestrian safety, an amount that's inadequate to address the problem, said Lisa MacKinnon, transportation policy analyst for 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. Full Text: Copyright Madison Capital Times Nov 21, 2002 Local groups are calling for more state dollars for pedestrian safety after a national study showed 6.3 percent of all traffic deaths in Wisconsin are pedestrians. Sierra Club and 1000 Friends of Wisconsin officials were to release the "Mean Streets 2002" results today at a press conference on a busy street corner downtown. Nationally, the most dangerous metro areas for pedestrians are in Florida and other parts of the South, with only one Wisconsin area, Milwaukee-Racine, listed in the top 50 at No. 46. Ninety-eight pedestrians died along Wisconsin roads in 2000 and 2001, with about a third of those deaths occurring in the Milwaukee-Racine metropolitan area. Wisconsin spends 1.1 percent of its federal transportation funds on bicycle and pedestrian safety, an amount that's inadequate to address the problem, said Lisa MacKinnon, transportation policy analyst for 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. "The state needs to put its money where its mouth is by directing more federal dollars toward implementing its new pedestrian plan," she said. The state Department of Transportation issued its Pedestrian Policy Plan 2020 earlier this year, calling for the establishment of pedestrian travel as a "viable, convenient and safe transportation choice throughout Wisconsin." "It's essential for pedestrian safety and our quality of life that this report doesn't just sit on a shelf collecting dust," MacKinnon said. Mean Streets 2002 was issued from the Surface Transportation Policy Project. The report shows 4,955 people died in 2001 while walking down the streets of America, up from 4,843 in 2000. "While only about 5 percent of all trips are made on foot, about 12 percent of all traffic deaths (nationally) are pedestrians, making walking one of the most dangerous modes of travel," the report said. The top ten most dangerous metro areas to walk down the streets in 2000-2001, according to Mean Streets 2002, are Orlando, Fla.; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.; West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.; Memphis, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Houston, Tex.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Nashville, Tenn. The groups recommended: The state should spend the same amount of money, 6.3 percent, on pedestrian safety as the percentage of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. Safe access for bicyclists and pedestrians should be included in planning on all non-restricted transportation facilities. Bike and walking routes should be created around schools. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
