PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN THE BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOOD

Amanda Cabeceiras

In 2010 4,280 pedestrians were killed and 70,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic related accidents (Department of Transportation, 2010). The ability for a person to walk safely and comfortably in their community is essential to a healthy lifestyle. The boundaries for the Brooklyn neighborhood in SE Portland are formed by three very busy streets, Mcgloughlin Blvd, Powell Blvd and Holgate Blvd (see next slide). In order to grocery shop, go to a bank or participate in many other day to day activities you are required to cross at least one of these streets. As they are now, the streets do not feel like a safe and comfortable place for pedestrian traffic.

Brooklyn Neighborhood Boundaries

The Brooklyn neighborhood is an older, very charming neighborhood, especially when traveled by foot. Within the neighborhood there are several parks, shops and local businesses. It is a neighborhood that draws many people who prefer to live without a car due to the walkability and public transportation. However, just one block outside of the neighborhood you encounter several busy roads and will find that use of them is essential to grocery shopping, getting to public transportation and many other daily activities.

Although you are able to find pedestrian crosswalks throughout the neighborhood you also will find old, not well maintained sidewalks as well as very busy intersections. This is one of the main intersections that connects the neighborhoods to surrounding neighborhoods. This road is very highly traveled and you are required to cross it to get to public transportation. The crosswalk allows pedestrians to cross for about 6-7 seconds, not likely enough time for someone with disabilities, an elderly person or someone traveling with small children to safely cross.

While taking these pictures I was trying to decide exactly what it was that made me feel unsafe on these busy streets. After watching many cars pass by I finally realized it was the lack of a bike lane or shoulder, the end of the sidewalk is the beginning of the traffic lane. It is hard to tell in these pictures but the cars driving in the lane closest to the sidewalk veered slightly into the next lane as they passed pedestrians, it is too close for both pedestrians and drivers to feel safe.

The other factor that lead to the sidewalks being unsafe for pedestrians is speed. The pictures above are three main intersections from different vantage points, as you can see you are unable to see a speed limit sign. Many cars are coming from Highway 99 and traveling 45 mph or more as they approach these busy intersections. There is a large need for a higher level of enforcement in terms of speed limits and also a reduction of the speed limits. Faster speeds increase the likelihood of a pedestrian being hit. At higher speeds, motorists are less likely to see a pedestrian, and are even less likely to be able to stop in time to avoid hitting one . 85% of pedestrian related accidents result in a fatality if the driver was traveling at a speed of 40 mph or higher (Center for Disease Control, 2013).

The image above was collected from The City of Portlands Pedestrian Design Guide. It shows exactly what a safe sidewalk corridor should look like. The guide states that all sidewalks should allow pedestrians to feel a sense of safety and predictability. Sidewalk users should not feel threatened by adjacent traffic. In order to make Brooklyn an even safer, more walkable neighborhood, attention needs to be made to these busy intersections. By adding a curb zone, furnishing zone or even bike lane to the busy roads, both pedestrians and drivers would be able to travel with more ease and comfort. Speed limit signs should be more present as well as a slower speed limit should be implemented. Doing so would make pedestrian travel for daily activities not only safer but also more enjoyable. (Portland Pedestrian Guide, 2010).

REFERENCES
Department of Transportation. (2001.). Pedestrian safety guide and countermeasure selection system. PEDSAFE : crash statistics. Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.walkinginfo.org/pedsafe/crashs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013) Pedestrian safety fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pedestrian_safety/factsheet.html Portland Pedestrian Design Guide. (2010.). Portland Online. Retrieved January 1, 2013, from