HEALTH CHALLENGES
Safer Roadways
Given the city’s aim to reduce roadway fatalities to zero, how might we protect pedestrians, reduce distractions for drivers, and improve emergency response?
Introduction
What is the difference between safe intersections and dangerous ones? What kinds of intersections provide more safety for pedestrians and bikers (e.g. roundabouts and t-junctions)? It’s also imperative that we educate the public about these intersections, and pedestrian safety in general. Education is an effective tool that can be used to give pedestrians alternate routes or even alternate forms of transportation.However, providing education requires some amount of time (rather asking a person to read a pamphlet or listen to a public service announcement), and may not be applied at the appropriate time to encourage someone to alter their behaviors.
Specific angles to explore
One angle to consider is the Fatal 15, the 15 intersections in the San Diego area that have the highest number of pedestrian deaths and injuries since 2001. Is it possible that these intersections, like Mission Blvd. and Garnet Ave., have something in common that is causing this lack of safety? Circulate San Diego, a local non-profit devoted to promoting safe neighborhoods, streets and intersections compiled the list and estimates the cost to address these dangers at approximately $200,000. Addressing these dangerous spots is important, as is understanding how a spot becomes dangerous over time. What are the early warning signs that an intersection might be deadly, before someone is actually killed in a traffic accident? Here are other options for you to explore as well:
Last Mile: The last mile of a commute is often where cars interact with pedestrians and other modes of transportation. How do we encourage a less dangerous interface between cars and pedestrians in the last mile of a commute?
Intersections and Bike Lanes: 45% of bike accidents that involve a car happen at intersections. How can we modify intersections to encourage safer interactions between bikes and cars?
Reducing Speed: The introduction of micro-mobility solutions, walkers share the sidewalk with bikes, scooters, skateboards and many other modes of transportation. How can we prevent micro-mobility devices from interfering with sidewalk use by pedestrians?
Public Health: Many people are discouraged from using public transportation because of sanitation concerns. How can we communicate to riders that MTS buses are a clean environment?