Walking is one of the most fundamental skills that man possesses. Babies learn to walk as young as seven months, before they can talk or even understand most speech. Once walking is mastered, barring any later physical impairment, humans continue to walk throughout their lives, without giving it a second thought.
If walking is so simple, why does the pedestrian safety problem seem so complicated? Dedicated individuals who are eager to address the serious problem of pedestrian deaths and injuries find it very frustrating to generate public support for the issue, or even to figure out what needs to be done.
There are many reasons to explain this. A big part of the problem is the issue of pedestrian safety itself. Walking is an unregulated, unorganized activity. People are, by nature, unpredictable. Pedestrians are much less restricted than other road users who must drive in a certain direction, at a certain speed, and obey a host of other traffic regulations. Controlling the interaction between these uncontrollable (and very vulnerable) pedestrians, and high-speed motorists in 2,000 pound vehicles is a significant challenge.
Another problem with pedestrian safety is that pedestrians as a group are un-organized. Walking is an almost unconscious activity, so people don't think of themselves as pedestrians. When they speak out as motorists, or consumers, or even as senior citizens, they know that there are others who share their views. But no one seems to speak out for pedestrians. There are no constituency groups demanding that programs be implemented. On the contrary, many groups are very vocal in their opposition to efforts to require sidewalks or to reduce travel speeds.
These first two problems would be manageable if local activists had access to the right resources to help solve them. These resources do exist. The problem lies in trying to acquire them. Most local coordinators face either feast or famine when it comes to pedestrian safety resources. Either they are working in isolation, unaware that these resources exist, or they locate a source of information only to be overwhelmed by the confusing volume of research reports, program materials and guidelines. Those working in isolation may waste a lot of time and resources reinventing what has already been developed somewhere else. The person who is overwhelmed with resources can waste an equal amount of time sorting through materials that are inappropriate for their particular situation.
The Pedestrian Safety Roadmap is designed to make it easier for community pedestrian safety activists to locate and acquire the most appropriate resources for their particular needs. It provides both a brief overview of the steps that should be followed to establish an effective pedestrian safety program, as well as a list of the resources that will be needed along the way.
