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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Data Shows County Strategies are Decreasing Pedestrian Collisions

The County’s departments of Transportation and Police met with CountyStat to review the progress of County Executive Ike Leggett’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative, launched in late 2007. CountyStat conducts periodic reviews to analyze the effectiveness of the program.

Data indicates pedestrian collisions and their severity are trending downward where engineering, enforcement or education strategies have been implemented. One of the biggest successes has been the Safe Routes to School program that has significantly reduced pedestrian collisions at more than 50 schools.

At the meeting, Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Arthur Holmes described how the department’s traffic calming efforts have reduced speeds and reduced the number of collisions. Slowing traffic can significantly reduce the severity of collisions. He also reported that one-third of the County’s traffic signals now allow pedestrians more time to cross. County Police Chief Thomas Manger discussed how his department will be enacting a new zero tolerance pedestrian safety strategy with greater emphasis on issuing citations to both drivers and pedestrians who violate pedestrian safety laws.

The full CountyStat presentation is available on the County’s website.

CATEGORIES: Pedestrian Safety
POSTED AT: 1:00:00 PM |