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Walking can be hazardous to your health

CASA of Maryland calls for action in answer to seven pedestrian deaths in University Blvd. area

CASA of Maryland, Inc. has urged state and local leaders to do more to prevent pedestrian fatalities and injuries in the International Corridor, where Latinos are disproportionately represented among pedestrians killed by automobiles. With seven pedestrians killed, including two children, over a recent 14-month period in the area, CASA urged the State of Maryland to take the lead in immediately implementing nine recommendations to reduce risk and improve safety. The recommendations are outlined in a report released today by CASA entitled, Pedestrian Safety in Crisis: Latino Deaths on the International Corridor.

"Latinos are dying at disproportionately higher rates than other pedestrians, and time is of the essence," said CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres. "We can make a difference if we work together, and through the cooperation of all four of the governments who have jurisdiction for traffic safety in the Corridor area, I know we can achieve long-term, coordinated and comprehensive solutions."

Torres said that solving traffic and pedestrian safety problems in the International Corridor is complex because responsibility for roads, transit, other transportation infrastructure, and enforcement of traffic safety laws overlap between the state of Maryland, Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Takoma Park. He called on the state of Maryland to take the lead in prioritizing and implementing solutions and providing funding, as the major roads in the area, University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, are under the state's jurisdiction. The state recently designated $1 million to fund improvements to accelerate pedestrian facility enhancements.

"The safety of our citizens is a top priority for Governor Ehrlich," said Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan. "In the opening days of his administration, he demonstrated this commitment by earmarking $1 million to improve pedestrian safety along the International Corridor. But this $1 million is not the end of our effort. It is the beginning. We are moving aggressively to make vital safety improvements in the short term while continuing to move other major improvements through the funding and construction pipeline. Together, we will make a difference."

Torres called for establishment of a Working Group comprised of decisionmakers from all four jurisdictions, and cited Montgomery County's pedestrian safety improvement program as a model that could be followed for the Crossroads area to improve the built environment, educate pedestrians, and enforce driver compliance of pedestrian and safety laws.

"My goal is to make Montgomery County a truly walkable community by dramatically improving pedestrian safety and accessibility for everyone," said Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, as he announced a number of new pedestrian safety initiatives for the Corridor. "Even one pedestrian death is too many, so we are engaged in an aggressive campaign that combines engineering, enforcement, and education to reduce pedestrian fatalities and raise community awareness for areas in Long Branch, where the County has jurisdiction. It is my hope that establishing partnerships, like the Working Group, with government and community members who want to transform their neighborhoods into safe-walking zones, will improve everyone's quality of life."

Prince George's County is working on a pedestrian safety education campaign aimed at Latino children, which will be launched in the fall.

"We're creating and participating in regional partnerships to address education and safety issues that have led to these unfortunate and tragic deaths," said Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson at a recent press conference.

After the press conference, Takoma Park officials toured the surrounding block with Secretary Flanagan as well as national walkability expert Dan Burden, in town to perform a walkability audit for the city.

"We have to re-engineer the streets and the surrounding commercial areas to make pedestrian access just as safe as car access," said Takoma Park Mayor Kathy Porter. "When the Takoma-Langley Crossroads was build, people traveled here by car. That is no longer the case. A large number live in the area, walk, and use public transportation," said Porter.

Other recommendations by CASA to address this critical public health issue include:

Standardize data collection among the four jurisdictions to include socioeconomic characteristics and ethnicity of pedestrians and drivers involved in collisions.

• Sufficiently fund priority projects.

• Incorporate the state-sponsored pedestrian safety curriculum into all elementary schools in the area and make priority engineering improvements at these schools.

• Develop and implement a coordinated Latino outreach campaign.

• Immediately implement short-term engineering improvements, track their impact, and commit to a three-year schedule for making long-term improvements.

• Form a Transportation and Traffic Safety Task Force that includes relatives of traffic accident victims to advocate for and monitor improvements.

CASA is Maryland's largest Latino organization and is dedicated to improving the quality of life, social, and economic well being of the Latino community.