Effort to Improve Pedestrian Safety
On May 20, ARISE Advocates joined with the local chapter AARP to bring attention to dangerous intersections in Syracuse. The initiative has the goal to make all streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
The intersection of South Geddes and Seymour Streets in Syracuse served as a backdrop for the press conference. With five bicyclists and five pedestrians injured in accidents, it is the most dangerous intersection in five Central New York counties, according to the AARP’s survey, which was conducted between 2006 and 2008.
Some solutions to dangerous intersections are as simple as painting or re-painting crosswalk lines on the pavement so drivers know where to stop. Crosswalk signals that include a countdown of time remaining also help pedestrians make informed choices if they want to begin crossing a street. Signals that include a noise make the intersections safer for individuals who have low or impaired vision. Other ways to make intersections safer include good sidewalk repair and maintaining curb cuts so individuals who use wheelchairs or are pushing strollers can easily and smoothly navigate from sidewalk to crosswalk and back to sidewalk again.
“Complete Streets” legislation has been introduced in New York State. It would require road planning to take bicyclists and pedestrians of all abilities into account when designing roadways. For more information on this initiative, contact Beata Karpinska-Prehn at 671-2909 or bkarpinska@ariseinc.org. Or you can click on the links below, which will take you to news coverage on other web sites.
Click here to view coverage on News Channel 9
Click here to view coverage on Channel 10 (YNN)