Make Pedestrian Safety Your #1 Priority
February 16. 2007
The tragic deaths of Martha Schoenborn and Sally McGhee on the evening of Wednesday, February 14, 2007, both who worked in the Chairman’s Office of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should be a wake-up call to Everyone who drives in the Washington Region, not just MetroBus operators and public transit officials. It definitely is a wake-up call to me in my capacity as Chair of the Metro Riders’ Advisory Council.
This could have been me!
As a former FTC employee for over 10 years, I had to cross Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street on a daily basis to get to MetroRail Station, bus stops at the corner, Starbucks, Dutch Mill Deli, other lunch places, or FTC’s Annex Facility across the street. I can’t even count on two hands the number of incidents where I used my briefcase as a shield and slammed it on taxi cabs or personal vehicles as I navigated my way across these two streets. I witnessed just as many incidents involving friends and coworkers.
This is not strictly a Metro problem; it’s a DC problem, a Virginia problem, a Maryland problem, and a culture problem. I lived in California for 9 years, and the approach to pedestrian traffic is 180º from what you see in this region. In California, at least where I lived: Pedestrians Had the Right of Way. No matter what! When they were in cross walks, when they were in grocery store parking lots, and even when they were J-walking (illegally). In all cases, pedestrians had the right of way.
We need a strong and important cultural change by the people of the Washington Metropolitan Area and beyond. The idea of showing respect for pedestrians, to slow down just a little to look for pedestrians who may pop-up anywhere, and the recognition that I am in controlling this 4000 pound machine that is capable of killing an innocent person in the blink of an eye is critical.
This is a responsibility that EVERYONE must take to heart, and it is a responsibility that starts with YOU. When I moved to California, it took a few months to get used too, but eventually it became second nature. You have to drive defensively and you have to check the edge of a crosswalk. Because, it was the law and it was your duty to stop your car the second someone stepped into a crosswalk. It didn’t matter, if you and your vehicle could make it around the pedestrian. If someone is in the crosswalk, you MUST STOP.
I believe that the laws in DC, Maryland, and Virginia give pedestrians the right of way in crosswalks. However, enforcement is not at the same level as found in California. I have a ticket to show that I didn’t follow this law. Even though the pedestrian was two lanes away, I still got ticketed for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Maybe some of the responsibility starts with local law enforcement, but it also has to be an excepted norm in shopping malls, on residential streets without crosswalks, and throughout your travels across the region.
Metro has boosted their safety training process to require annual refreshers in transportation safety. However, for every MetroBus accident involving pedestrians, there are thousands of incidents that involve passenger cars. What are YOU going to do the next time you see a MetroBus stopped at a crosswalk? Proceed through! I hope not, because the bus may be stopped for a pedestrian who you couldn’t possibly see because they are blocked by the bus. As a pedestrian in this region, I’ve also seen instances where a very polite driver has stopped to allow me to cross a street, only to see someone in another lane or coming from the other direction, barrel on through. This is not right! This is not the law! This is not how fellow human beings should be treating each other. It’s time to slow down, be more aware of your surroundings, and give the pedestrian a break.
The next tragic death could be your child, parent, spouse, friend, or co-worker.
Of the top 65 initiatives that the RAC has put forth to Metro, 25% of them involve some aspect of safety and/or security. I’ve asked at both the January and February meetings of the WMATA Board, for Safety to be Metro’s #1 Priority. If you look at the list of initiatives developed over the course of last year, Pedestrian Safety is number one on the RAC’s list. I cancelled the RAC Subcommittee Meetings, the night of this tragic incident for the safety of RAC members, for the safety of riders that might want to comment at our meetings, and for the safety of Metro staff that support our efforts. I’ll continue to make Safety my #1 priority. I hope that all members of the driving community in the Washington Region make Pedestrian Safety they’re #1 priority.
As an aside, the tragic incident on Valentines Day is exacerbated by the lack of adequate lighting at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street. Most of the lights are situated as up-lights to emphasize the grandeur of Federal Buildings that line Pennsylvania Avenue, however there is limited lighting available to illuminate pedestrians in the streets at night. Safety along Pennsylvania Avenue, the most well known street in America should be someone’s #1 priority.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Snyder
Chair, Metro Riders' Advisory Council
rac@imsnyder.com
What would Metro’s customers on the RAC think of this idea?
The tragic deaths of Martha Schoenborn and Sally McGhee on the evening of Wednesday, February 14, 2007, both who worked in the Chairman’s Office of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should be a wake-up call to Everyone who drives in the Washington Region, not just MetroBus operators and public transit officials. It definitely is a wake-up call to me in my capacity as Chair of the Metro Riders’ Advisory Council.
This could have been me!
As a former FTC employee for over 10 years, I had to cross Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street on a daily basis to get to MetroRail Station, bus stops at the corner, Starbucks, Dutch Mill Deli, other lunch places, or FTC’s Annex Facility across the street. I can’t even count on two hands the number of incidents where I used my briefcase as a shield and slammed it on taxi cabs or personal vehicles as I navigated my way across these two streets. I witnessed just as many incidents involving friends and coworkers.
This is not strictly a Metro problem; it’s a DC problem, a Virginia problem, a Maryland problem, and a culture problem. I lived in California for 9 years, and the approach to pedestrian traffic is 180º from what you see in this region. In California, at least where I lived: Pedestrians Had the Right of Way. No matter what! When they were in cross walks, when they were in grocery store parking lots, and even when they were J-walking (illegally). In all cases, pedestrians had the right of way.
We need a strong and important cultural change by the people of the Washington Metropolitan Area and beyond. The idea of showing respect for pedestrians, to slow down just a little to look for pedestrians who may pop-up anywhere, and the recognition that I am in controlling this 4000 pound machine that is capable of killing an innocent person in the blink of an eye is critical.
This is a responsibility that EVERYONE must take to heart, and it is a responsibility that starts with YOU. When I moved to California, it took a few months to get used too, but eventually it became second nature. You have to drive defensively and you have to check the edge of a crosswalk. Because, it was the law and it was your duty to stop your car the second someone stepped into a crosswalk. It didn’t matter, if you and your vehicle could make it around the pedestrian. If someone is in the crosswalk, you MUST STOP.
I believe that the laws in DC, Maryland, and Virginia give pedestrians the right of way in crosswalks. However, enforcement is not at the same level as found in California. I have a ticket to show that I didn’t follow this law. Even though the pedestrian was two lanes away, I still got ticketed for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Maybe some of the responsibility starts with local law enforcement, but it also has to be an excepted norm in shopping malls, on residential streets without crosswalks, and throughout your travels across the region.
Metro has boosted their safety training process to require annual refreshers in transportation safety. However, for every MetroBus accident involving pedestrians, there are thousands of incidents that involve passenger cars. What are YOU going to do the next time you see a MetroBus stopped at a crosswalk? Proceed through! I hope not, because the bus may be stopped for a pedestrian who you couldn’t possibly see because they are blocked by the bus. As a pedestrian in this region, I’ve also seen instances where a very polite driver has stopped to allow me to cross a street, only to see someone in another lane or coming from the other direction, barrel on through. This is not right! This is not the law! This is not how fellow human beings should be treating each other. It’s time to slow down, be more aware of your surroundings, and give the pedestrian a break.
The next tragic death could be your child, parent, spouse, friend, or co-worker.
Of the top 65 initiatives that the RAC has put forth to Metro, 25% of them involve some aspect of safety and/or security. I’ve asked at both the January and February meetings of the WMATA Board, for Safety to be Metro’s #1 Priority. If you look at the list of initiatives developed over the course of last year, Pedestrian Safety is number one on the RAC’s list. I cancelled the RAC Subcommittee Meetings, the night of this tragic incident for the safety of RAC members, for the safety of riders that might want to comment at our meetings, and for the safety of Metro staff that support our efforts. I’ll continue to make Safety my #1 priority. I hope that all members of the driving community in the Washington Region make Pedestrian Safety they’re #1 priority.
As an aside, the tragic incident on Valentines Day is exacerbated by the lack of adequate lighting at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street. Most of the lights are situated as up-lights to emphasize the grandeur of Federal Buildings that line Pennsylvania Avenue, however there is limited lighting available to illuminate pedestrians in the streets at night. Safety along Pennsylvania Avenue, the most well known street in America should be someone’s #1 priority.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Snyder
Chair, Metro Riders' Advisory Council
rac@imsnyder.com
What would Metro’s customers on the RAC think of this idea?
posted by I. Michael Snyder @ 8:13 AM
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