HIGHWAY TECHNET   VIRTUAL EXPO   SAFETY INDEX PEDESTRIAN ROADSHOW

AP-18 Pedestrian Safety Workshop
Pedestrian Safety - "Let's Get This Show on the Road"
Every year approximately 5,300 pedestrian are killed and about 80,000 injured in accidents with automobiles. Recognizing this, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and developed a new pedestrian program titled "Pedestrian Safety Roadshow (PSRS)." The purpose of the Roadshow is to assist communities in developing their own approach to identifying and solving the problems that affect pedestrian safety and walkability. It is a 4-hour workshop to community officials (e.g. engineering, planning, enforcement, educators, health), concerned citizens (e.g. youth groups, senior groups), and local business leaders (e.g. builders/developers, insurance). The objectives are to increase the awareness of pedestrian safety and walkability concerns, provide participants with information about the elements that make a community safe and walkable, channel their concern into a plan of action for addressing pedestrian concerns. It is designed for small to medium-sized cities, although it is adaptable for larger cities as well.

The PSRS is much more than just "safety", it impacts health, the environment, its about "Quality of Life" issues. It assumes that at least one person in the community believes that pedestrian safety and walkability is enough of a problem to take "ACTION" and will request a Roadshow. If there is one voice speaking out for pedestrians, the Roadshow will serve as a catalyst for enlisting others in support of the cause. If there exists more widespread recognition of the pedestrian problems within the community, then the Roadshow can help to transform this awareness of the problem into a commitment to solving it.

This program is not just a 4-hour roadshow. It combines other resources that have been developed to help communities identify and address their pedestrian safety concerns. These resources include: WALK!, a 12-minute video that address these issues: Pedestrian Safety Resource Catalog, an overview of the process involved in a community pedestrian program and an annotated listing of the technical resources that are available from the Department of Transportation; a Local Sponsor's guide, a step-by-step guide to host a Pedestrian Safety roadshow; Wanted - Walkable Communities brochure that describes the Roadshow process; and the "Tool Box", which is being developed, comprising a set of information/documents on pedestrian facilities and community building. The Pedestrian Resource Catalog, the Local Sponsor's guide, and the brochure are available on the web at http://www.library.unt.edu/gpo/ota/walk/Default.htm.

Numerous partnerships to deliver this technology to the local communities have been developed. To date we have trained over 100 facilitators from twenty States and they include personnel from State and local community (e.g. engineering, enforcement, planning, safety specialists, educators, etc.), Governor's offices of Highway Safety, University, LTAP Centers, FHWA, NHTSA, and MPO's. The unique aspect of this project allows the field office to take a leadership role in delivering this technology to the local communities. We are accelerating the training of facilitators in 1998/9.

This is the most important step in making your community a safer, more walkable, pedestrian friendly place to LIVE and WORK. Information is also presented on the economic, health, safety and other benefits derived from the program. By being trained to facilitate this program or acting as the local host of this program, you are starting a process that should change forever the way your community deals with the most fundamental form of transportation - walking. This program has touched the lives of many to do something about pedestrian concerns within and even outside their community.

You are invited to take advantage of this unique opportunity to have persons trained to facilitate the Road Show in your area and surrounding districts and being able to identify and develop a plan of action to solve pedestrian related problems. If you are interested in being a facilitator or a local host, have the commitment or support of your organization, and are willing to devote some of your time, please contact the FHWA's division office in your State or LBoodlal at (202) 366-8044 or e-mail leverson.boodlal@fhwa.dot.gov for information on a session in your state. Additional information and contact can be obtained on the Internet at: http://www.library.unt.edu/gpo/ota/walk/Default.htm.


HIGHWAY TECHNET   VIRTUAL EXPO   SAFETY INDEX
PEDESTRIAN ROADSHOW OVERVIEW SLIDES


U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

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Project Manager
Leverson Boodlal
HTA-31
(202) 366-8044