5/20/2016

Pedestrian-Bicycle Emphasis Area Breakout Session

Highway Safety Summit April 26, 2016

Fatality and Serious Injury Averages (2008-2013) by Emphasis Area

Where We’ve Been:

• February 2014 – Highway Safety Summit

• Created work group of 25 people

• Formulated 5 (6) Strategies – Approved 2015

• Summer 2015 – Formulated Action Steps

Data-Driven 4 E’s Approach:

• Target actions where they will have greatest effect on crash reduction – who, what, when and where!

• Engineering • Education • Enforcement • Emergency Response

• Among “ALL” Pedestrian on Foot Involved Crashes between 2011-2014, 32.1% occurred in Baltimore City

• Over 1/3 of the No Injury/Minor Injury Crashes also occurred in Baltimore City

• Among those crashes involving a Serious Injury/Fatal Injury, 18.6% occurred in Montgomery County

followed by Baltimore County with 17.8%

• When comparing serious injury vs fatal injury crashes, Montgomery County had the highest percentage of serious injury crashes (21.6%)

• Nearly one out of four (24.1%) of the fatal injury crashes involving pedestrians on foot happened in Prince George’s County.

Findings

• Pedestrian/Bicycle crashes are a significant problem

• Account for more fatalities/serious injuries than aggressive driving or unrestrained occupants

• Most incidents, of all severities, occur in urban areas

• Baltimore City • Urbanized Counties

• Fatalities have not decreased significantly • Decrease in serious injuries is seen across all areas

in the State due to reporting, no occurrence

Crash Report: Pedestrian Visibility n % Light Clothing 237 5.4

Dark Clothing 667 15.2

Mixed Clothing 733 16.7

Reflective Material 47 1.1

Head Light 4 0.1

Rear Reflector 0 0.0

Hd Light & Refl. 1 0.0

Other 43 1.0

Missing 2,659 60.6

16

The party at fault has been relatively stable over the past four years with drivers at fault 59% and pedestrians at fault 36% on average from 2011 to 2014.

Source: MCPD Note: numbers may not add to 100% due to rounding

Drivers are reported to be more often at-fault in minor collisions but less often at-fault in serious or fatal collisions.

Pedestrians are reported to be less often at-fault in minor collisions but more often at-fault in serious or fatal collisions.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 1 – Identify and target pedestrian and bicycle safety issues, populations, and locations of concern through the collection, analysis and evaluation of data and information

(Lead – Cindy Burch, NSC) Identify high pedestrian and bicyclist crash locations on State and

local roads. (L’Kiesha Markley, SHA)

Collect, identify and assess issues and travel behaviors affecting

pedestrian and bicyclists by collecting and analyzing crash and other data and administering annual travel surveys. (Meredith Hill, SHA)

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 1 – Identify and target pedestrian and bicycle safety issues, populations, and locations of concern through the collection, analysis and evaluation of data and information

(Lead – Cindy Burch, SHA) Provide maps of pedestrian and bicyclists crashes to all 23 counties, Baltimore City and other local jurisdictions. Develop an interface system for ARCS to provide data back to all 23 counties, Baltimore City, and other local jurisdictions.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 2 – Promote safe behaviors of all road users appropriate for the environment through education and enforcement initiatives

(Lead – Karyn McAlister, PGDPW) Conduct evidence-informed education and enforcement

campaigns through Street Smart and other available programs. (Mike Sabol, MHSO)

Create a state-wide online toolbox of educational campaigns and

materials used by other jurisdictions, including Street Smart, Ocean City’s Walk Smart, and Baltimore’s Don’t Let It Be You. (Lora Rakowski, SHA)

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 2 – Promote safe behaviors of all road users appropriate for the environment through education and enforcement initiatives

(Lead – Karyn McAlister, PGDPW) Develop, implement, and evaluate pedestrian and bicyclist safety education program targeting high-risk student populations. Increase enforcement of pedestrian safety laws through implementation of crosswalk enforcement details in high-crash locations.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 3 – Create and improve the roadway environments for safe walking and bicycling through implementation of engineering treatments, land use planning, and system-wide countermeasures.

(Lead – __________, SHA) Define Complete Streets treatments that demonstrate pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. Develop and implement a model Complete Streets policy that can be implemented in critical areas such as Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Areas.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 4 – Create and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety culture in Maryland including the promotion and implementation of legislation and training of professionals and stakeholders about best safety practices

(Lead – ______________)

Develop and deliver a training program for law enforcement on

best practices in pedestrian and bicycle enforcement, endorsed by MDOT, Maryland Sheriff’s Association, and Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. (Mike Sabol, MHSO)

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 4 – Create and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety culture in Maryland including the promotion and implementation of legislation and training of professionals and stakeholders about best safety practices

(Lead – ______________) Create and pass legislation for Complete Streets policies for the State. Utilize League of American Bicyclists’ training materials and training instructors to teach bicycle safety across the State. Conduct ongoing workshops tailored to professions (engineers, planners, law enforcement, EMS)

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 5 – Develop, apply, and promote technological approaches, including those in vehicles and emergency response equipment, in order to better prevent and reduce the severity of collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists

(Lead – ______________) Create a work group to research emerging technologies that may be used to prevent and reduce the severity of pedestrian and bicycle collisions. Investigate and test automated enforcement initiatives that may improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Determine criteria for using automated enforcement for improved safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Emphasis Area

Strategy 6 – Identify and promote safe driving and pedestrian behaviors for all motorists and public safety professionals at the scene of emergency events.

(Lead – ______________) Create a work group to identify key issues and potential countermeasures for improving safety of motorists and public safety professionals at the scene of emergency events.

Where do we go from here?

• Use 4 E approach and may need to target specific areas with different countermeasures

• Need to dig deeper in 5 major jurisdictions • Coordination, Collaboration, and

Communication are focus of P-BEAT • Coordination- OCMD and Walk Smart • Collaboration- SHA in College Park • Communication- (within traffic safety community

and the public)

Where do we go from here?

• Need support from decision-makers on down to understand complexity of pedestrian and bicycle safety issues- that’s where you come in

• Are you willing to help us? • If not you, then who?

• P-BEAT meets quarterly, usually in Columbia, MD (centrally located among 5 major jurisdictions)

• Next meeting is early June- date TBD