NY Times - Article on Walking to School

The NY Times reports on the issues parents consider when allowing their children to walk to school, an activity that was common place just a few decades ago. September 12, 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/fashion/13kids.html?_r=1&hpw

Tennesseen Reports about Safe Cycling on Greenways

Photo by Aldredge

Nashville parks enforce bicycle speed limit as walkers, cyclists clash

Tennesseean - Opinion Pieces About Pedestrian Safety in Nashville

From the Tennessean on Wednesday, September 3, 2009

Guest editorial: Making Walking safer pays off

Drivers, walkers are out of sync in Music City: Today's Topic: Pedestrian accidents on rise

Guest editorial: Statistics show walking is safe

Tennessean Reports on Dangers to Pedestrians

Sunday, August 23, 2009

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090824/NEWS03/908230376/Deadly+drivers+threaten+walkers+in+Nashville
Deadly drivers threaten walkers in Nashville
Nashville among least safe cities for pedestrians

By Jennifer BrooksTHE TENNESSEAN

Pedestrian accidents are on the rise in Metro Nashville, where hundreds are hit, hurt or killed by vehicles each year. The number of pedestrian accidents has gone up nearly every year since 2004 — a grim statistic in a city already known as one of the least-pedestrian-friendly places in the country.

Seventy-three people died trying to cross or walk along Nashville streets from January 2004 to August 2009, according to Metro police records. More than 1,600 pedestrians have been hit.
Not only are Nashville pedestrians getting hit, they're getting hit in the same intersections, neighborhoods and along the same main traffic corridors over and over again. They're also getting hit for the same reasons, over and over again.

Some get hit while jaywalking. Others are hit because reckless drivers don't know, or don't care, that the law requires them to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Some get hit because they go walking in dark clothes on a dark night.

"The bottom line is, if more pedestrians and drivers would follow the rules, many of these (accidents) could have been avoided," said Metro Public Works spokeswoman Gwen Hopkins-Glascock, whose department is responsible for pedestrian crossings around the city.
But there are things other cities have done to cut down on their pedestrian accident and death rates — things like stepped-up enforcement at pedestrian crossings, more visible crosswalks, bans on right turns at red lights, and remaking entire streets to calm traffic and protect pedestrians.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has appointed a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator in an effort to create a more "walkable" city, and Metro's Planning and Public Works departments have scrutinized dangerous crossings. But the city has yet to come up with a comprehensive safety plan that targets dangerous crossings.

"We're looking into how to address this, but for now it's a little premature to say," said Metro Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Toks Omishakin. "More detailed analysis needs to be done."
But even a cursory look at pedestrian accident data highlights the streets around town that are accidents waiting to happen.

7 hit on Broadway

There's Broadway, where pedestrians have been hit in almost every intersection in the dozen blocks between the river and the highway overpass over the past five years — 14 pedestrians hit at Broadway and Third Avenue, 11 more at the Fifth Avenue crossing. This year alone, there have been seven pedestrians hit between First and 12th avenues.

Then there's the Main Street/Gallatin Road/Gallatin Pike corridor, site of three of the seven pedestrian deaths the city has seen this year. The first traffic death of the year was a pedestrian, 44-year-old Allen Young, killed while trying to cross Main Street by a driver who never saw him until it was too late to stop. The driver wasn't cited and the final police report on the incident concluded: "It appears Young's failure to yield to traffic while crossing the roadway was the contributing factor to this fatal accident."

But several months later, several miles up the road, Nashville grandfather James Hamsley was waiting quietly at a bus stop along Gallatin Pike when he was sideswiped by a hit-and-run driver and killed.

What Nashville needs, Omishakin said, is a change in the culture and mindset of drivers and pedestrians alike. "There is a lot of education that needs to happen," said Omishakin, whose office is also leading a push for more bike paths and pedestrian corridors in a city that the National Surface Transportation Policy Project once ranked as the 10th-most-dangerous place for pedestrians in the nation.

A look around any busy intersection in town offers a vivid glimpse of just how far Nashville has to go in its pedestrian safety education. It was the noon lunch rush at the intersection of Fifth and Charlotte avenues, and Billy Harris had his eye on the Dunkin' Donuts across the street, not the glowing red "don't walk" signal overhead.

Harris bounded into the street, ignoring the red minivan bearing down on him. Brakes squealed as the vehicle slowed, then swerved around him and continued through the intersection.
Safely on the other side, Harris, a day laborer, seemed amused by the suggestion that it might have been safer to wait for a walk signal. Or at least look both ways before he crossed.
"I knew I could make it," he said with a laugh.

Not long afterward, Barbara Williams, 77, waited at the same corner for the walk signal and started across, hobbled slightly by recent foot surgery that had her stepping slowly and gingerly down Charlotte. Halfway across, she cringed as a dark sedan whipped a right turn on red, just missing her. "People drive like idiots in this town," said Williams, whose failing eyesight forces her to walk everywhere or take the bus around town. "There are drivers who will speed up when they see you in a crosswalk, like they think it's funny to scare the daylights out of you."

In 2004, there were 278 pedestrian accidents in the Metro area. By 2008, the number had risen to 302. The death rate has ranged from 11 in 2004 to 17 in 2006 and 13 deaths last year. By contrast, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has charted a steady decline in pedestrian deaths nationwide over the years.

Circumstances vary

There's no one reason people keep getting hit on Nashville streets. A look at the 1,600 pedestrian accidents turns up odd tidbits: More accidents happened during daylight hours than nighttime; more pedestrians were hit in intersections than in the middle of roads; and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays were the most dangerous days of the week.

The pedestrians are all ages, races and genders: 4-year-old Ronald Easeley III, hit and critically injured while trying to cross Nolensville Pike at Old Hickory with his parents last month; James Veach, 39, sideswiped and killed while steering his electric wheelchair along Dupont Avenue by a driver who police said was under the influence of drugs; even an old friend of Elvis, Marvin "GeeGee" Gambill Jr., 61, hit by a car on Antioch Pike while walking to work. Gambill was Elvis Presley's longtime driver.

"It's a bad situation for everyone. For the driver, not being able to do anything, not having time to react before they hit someone, it's really hard on them," said Officer Greg Davis, crash investigator for the Metro Police. "And in general, for the pedestrians getting hit, even if they don't die, they're going to have injuries that are potentially life-changing."
For Davis, the worst part of any pedestrian accident scene is knowing that it could have been prevented.

"We have good crossing areas in this city, but from what we see, people just aren't using them. … It goes the other way, too. Motorists have to exercise due caution, pay attention," Davis said.
Seven pedestrians have died on the streets of Nashville this year. If recent patterns hold true, another seven or so are likely to die before 2010.

Davis, for one, would be happy if that doesn't happen, and had a few words of advice for pedestrians:
"If there's crosswalks available, use 'em. Treat 'walk' and 'don't walk' signs seriously. The city doesn't put them up for entertainment. They're there to keep people safe," he said.

Additional Facts
MEAN STREETS
Since 2004, 73 pedestrians have been killed in traffic accidents in Nashville and more than 1,600 have been hit. Year Hit Killed2004 —278; 11 2005 — 277; 13 2006 — 294; 17 2007 — 301; 13 2008 — 302; 12 2009 — 157; 7** as of Aug. 2

Walk Nashville Week Now on Facebook

Walk Nashville Week is coming up October 3-9, 2009. Events include:

• Walk to Worship Day


• Walk Your Neighborhood Day


• Walk to Work Day


• Walk to School Day


• Walk for Active Aging


• Nashville On the Move Day

To find out more information please visit the Community Health and Wellness Team website or facebook page.

Create-A-Bike-Lane with Bike Lane Light

An innovative concept -- don't have a bicycle lane, create your own at night with a personal bike lane light.

Light Lane Bike

Rumble Stripe Write-up In Tennessean

Rumble Stripes Rattle Cyclists

Road Safety Features May be Redesigned for Bikes

By Mitchell Kline, The Tennessean

August 4, 2009

MPO Hosts Meetings on Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Study

Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Open to Public Comment

By Jenny Upchurch, Tennessean

Tennessean Reports on MPO Bike/Ped Meeting in Williamson County

(Photo courtesy of Tennessean)

For county cyclists, path is often bumpy
Regional, local plans encourage bike paths and greenways

By Mitchell Kline • THE TENNESSEAN • August 4, 2009

Click here to read the article.

Getting to Know the Laws for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

Knowing your rights and responsibilities as a bicyclist and pedestrian is extremely important to not only travel safely but also to enjoy the journey.

Test your knowledge and see if you know the answers to the following questions:

1. Bicyclists should ride against the flow of traffic. T/F

2. Traffic should yield to pedestrians when the are preparing to cross or crossing the street at a marked or unmarked crosswalk. T/F

3. A 12 year-old is not required by state law to wear a helmet. T/F

4. Bicyclists are not allowed to ride at night. T/F

Click on the following links to find out the laws in Tennessee for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Answers:

1. False - bicyclists should ride on the road going with the flow of traffic.

2. True - motorists should yield to pedestrians preparing to cross or in the act of crossing at a marked or unmarked intersection crosswalk.

3. False - anyone under the age of 16 must wear a helmet by law.

4. False - Bicyclists may ride day or night, but at night must have a front white head light and a rear red reflector (although a blinking rear light is strongly recommended, as is additional reflective clothing/gear).

Register for Walk Nashville Week

The Nashville Community Health and Wellness Team, sponsor of Walk Nashville Week, has launched a new website at http://www.nashvillechwt.org/. The website provides information on all of the Walk Nashville Week Activities, held this fall from October 4-11. The activities include:

• Walk to School Day


• Walk for Active Aging


• Walk at Lunch Day


• Walk to Worship Day


• Walk Your Neighborhood Day

To register your school, workplace, community center or place of worship, just visit the website.

Transit Now Video - How to Ride MTA Bus

Transit Now, a group dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of regional mass transportation in the Nashville Area, recently released a video about the ease of riding the MTA bus.

The video discusses purchasing fare cards, selecting routes and includes a demonstration of the bicycle racks featured on the front of every bus.

Click to view the video or to see the Transit Now website.

Sign up for the eNewsletter

The MPO is sending out periodic updates on the development of the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan through our new eNewsletter.

If you would like to receive the updates and find out about the progress of the plan, click here.

Green Ribbon Committee Report

Mayor Dean's Green Ribbon Committee presented a summary of the final report to Mayor Dean at a meeting last week. The Committee has been working for the past 9 months to develop a plan to make Nashville the greenest city in the Southeast.

Public input, including 1,800 responses to an online survey and over 300 attendees at five public meetings, guided the committee on creating the 16 goals and 71 action recommendations.

The overall goal for transportation is to have two forms of transportation available to citizens, provide a percentage of funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks and greenways, and provide educational classes for the public on bicycle safety.

Read the summary report here.

Share the Road Editorials in Tennessean

Photo courtesy of Tennessean

The Tennessean published several editorials on April 15, 2009 regarding bicyclists and cars sharing the road. Click below to read the individual letters:

Bikes, Cars Jostle for Space - Motorists, Cyclists Can Share Road Peaceably (Tennessean)

City, State Move to Make Road Safer (Rep. Gary Moore)

Follow Law, Apply Courtesy On Roads (Walk/Bike Nashville)

Accommodate Cyclists for City's Health, Well-Being (Nashville Area MPO)

Bicycle Recycling Program Benefits Kids, Teaches Skills

From the Tennessean - Ms. Cheap, April 12, 2009

Wanted: used bicycles, any style, any size, any condition.

Oh, yeah. I love this literal ReCycling.

Here's the deal: A bike donation program has been organized by Oasis Center, Team Green and the ReCYCLE your Cycle initiative, with the new Halcyon Bike Shop leading the charge.
The idea is for Halcyon to conduct a series of bike repair workshops, where young people can learn how to work on bikes and actually earn a bike for themselves, according to Halcyon co-owner Elise Tyler.

"The (donated) bicycles are recycled, repaired and transformed into valuable vehicles for youth who are homeless or living in low-income areas,'' said Elise, who said the free workshops should crank up in late May at the new Oasis Center on Charlotte.

She says initially a group of about 20 young people (ages 11-21) from the Oasis neighborhood will serve as a test of the program — attending bike workshops three days a week through the summer, learning just about every aspect of repairing and maintaining bicycles as well as learning about bike safety, bike lanes, greenways and other aspects of the wonderful world of biking.

"After that we want to expand it into other neighborhoods. It's a very practical program," Elise said. "The kids (who will be the first workshop students) are so excited about it. It's really cool to see the energy. A lot of them are too young to drive, and even if they could drive they can't afford a car. This works on several practical levels — providing transportation and building skills and confidence.''

So if you have unwanted, unused bikes, just drop them off at Centennial Park's Earth Day festivities, Saturday at the Halcyon Bike Booth (there should be lots of signs.) They'll also take bike parts and accessories such as helmets, locks, air pumps, "just about anything bicycle related,'' says, Elise who noted that your donations are tax-deductible and promised that "the process will be quick and easy.''

"The bikes do not have to be in riding condition. Part of the program is that kids work on their bikes and fix them up, so it's fine if the bikes are not in riding condition,'' Elise said.

Halcyon, whose main business is to repair and sell used bikes, opened just before Christmas over on 12 South. Elise said she and her partner, Andrew Parker, "had wanted to do this (youth workshop) from the start — but it was just too much to do when we first opened the retail shop, so we put it off a few months. Then just as we were thinking about it again, Oasis contacted us about us doing a bike workshop. And we said, 'well, yeah, that's exactly what we'd like to do.' ''
Isn't it great when things just work out like that? I just love it.

Oh, and if you can't get your unwanted bikes to Centennial Park on Saturday, just take them to the Halcyon Bike Shop, at 1118 Halcyon Ave., whenever you can and tell them you want to donate them to the youth workshop.

Federal Policy - Complete Streets

Photo courtesy of Rickard Drdul

COMPLETE STREETS POLICY PROGRESS

Complete Streets are streets that are designed for the safety and convenience of all transportation users, including bicyclists.

The Complete Streets Act of 2009 was introduced in both houses of Congress on Thursday, March 12. Senator Harkin (IA) sponsored S. 584 with Senator Carper (DE) as original cosponsor. In the House, Congresswoman Matsui (CA-5) sponsored H.R. 1433 with Representatives Tauscher (CA-10), Maloney (NY-14), and Wu (OR-1) as original cosponsors.

The Complete Streets Act of 2009 defines effective complete streets policies that are flexible enough to use in daily transportation planning practice. The introduction of these bills is a key step in ensuring safer, better-designed streets across the country. Organizations from the YMCA to the National Association of Realtors have lined up behind the measure, because they see the benefits complete streets will provide on issues ranging from the obesity epidemic to greenhouse gas reduction to providing inexpensive transportation alternatives in tough economic times.

Click here to learn more about Complete Streets.

Information provided by Smart Growth America.

Share the Road - Motorcycle and Bicycle Awareness Event

Sharing the Road applies to motorists who share the road and are observant of both motorcycles and bicycles.

The annual Share the Road event on May 2nd, sponsored by the Motorcycle Awareness Foundation of Tennessee (MAFT) and the Governor's Highway Safety Office, is the traditional kick-off of the motorcycle season in Middle Tennessee.

This year, the bicycling community will be participating. We'll have a bicycle rodeo for kids, a Bicycle Street Smarts class for adults, plus educational materials for everyone.

Please join us to a fun day of activities and education. May 2, 2009 from 10am-1pm at the Bumpus Harley Davidson dealership on Broad Street in Murfreesboro, TN.

Click here for the event flier. If you would like to learn more, please email leslie.meehan@nashville.gov.

Motorcyclists and bicyclists together can work for safer roadways for everyone!

Bicycle and Pedestrian Survey

The MPO Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Survey is still ongoing, however staff has compiled some preliminary results:

Almost 1,700 participants have filled out the survey

Most respondents live and work in Davidson County (Nashville)

39% live within a reasonable walking or bicycling distance from work (0-5 miles)

40% of households have students

25% bicycle to work at least once a month

49% walk to errands at least once a month

Lack of facilities, traffic, and driver behavior are the most common reasons for not walking or bicycling more often.

More facilities, connections between facilities and with other modes, and education were sited as the most important improvements that can be made for walking and bicycling.

With these improvements, the majority of respondents said they would be more likely to walk or bicycle to work, shop, eat out or go to the park.

Click here to view the summary of survey responses.

3 Feet Please - Bicycle Jersey

The MPO staff recently found a 3-feet campaign offering bright yellow jerseys saying 3-Feet Please. While not endorsing this particular jersey, we'd like to let our readers know that a jersey of this type exists.

Considering the recent bicyclist death in Chattanooga, please remember safely follow the rules of the road and wear bright colors so that you are visible to other motorists.

Find the jersey here.