{"id":195911166,"date":"2011-03-18T11:46:06","date_gmt":"2011-03-18T11:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=195911166"},"modified":"2011-03-18T11:46:06","modified_gmt":"2011-03-18T11:46:06","slug":"secretary-of-transportation-responds-things-have-gotten-better-in-the-last-three-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=195911166","title":{"rendered":"Secretary of Transportation Responds – Things have gotten better in the last three years"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Both traffic crashes that involve pedestrians and injuries suffered by pedestrians have declined in Maryland in each of the last three years.”<\/b> – Beverley K. Swaim-Staley Secretary of Transportation<\/p>\n

So while pedestrian injuries have gone down 10%, what she fails to mention is that pedestrian fatalities have gone up 20%. But what’s even more alarming is how Maryland compares to other states:
\n<\/p>\n

2006 The base year<\/b> (Note: A rank of 1= the highest pedestrian fatality rate.)
\n\"image\"<\/p>\n

2007 The first year<\/b>
\n\"image\"<\/p>\n

\n2008 The second year<\/b>
\n\"image\"<\/p>\n

\n2009 The third year<\/b>
\n\"image\"<\/p>\n


\nMY MAIN POINTS MISSED BY MDOT: Please do MORE. Please make BIKE\/PED FEDERAL AID EASER for the LOCALITIES to obtain for projects that are designed to reduce bike\/ped crashes. OTHER STATES are improving faster then Maryland.<\/b>
\n<\/big><\/big><\/big><\/p>\n

I would ask you to write but it seems MDOT is more interested in covering their rear ends then making measurable improvements with an implied “We don’t look at traffic fatalities, just crashes. If more people are dying in fewer crashes then that’s a good thing. ” The suggestion of writing to Tom Hicks, Director of Traffic and Safety personally I find offensive. The guy should have retired several decades ago with his 1950 road safety mentality. Not to mention being the runner up for the prestigious award of “The Most Ludicrous Statement by a Public Official on Bike\/Ped Issues” with his opposition to bicyclists having the right-of-way in bike lanes in 2009 because of “The problem of striping a bike lane through an uncontrolled intersection.” (A fictitious joining of unlikely to happen striping with rare intersection type.) (To be fair at least Delaware cyclists like him.<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n
\n\"image\"
\nOn the left: Tom Hicks, Director of Traffic and Safety — Michael Jackson, Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access – on the right.<\/em> <\/td>\n		…with an implied “We don’t look at traffic fatalities, just crashes. If more people are dying in fewer crashes then that’s a good thing. “<\/b><\/big><\/big><\/big><\/big><\/big><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Maybe it is unfair of me to put words in someone’s mouth but how do you address the continued avoidance of answering the hard questions. What am I to think about the redirection from fatalities to injuries. What am I to think about the mention of Maryland\u2019s Strategic Highway Safety Plan and how it is supposed to address these issue but there is no mention of pedestrians nor bicyclists on this page<\/a>. On further reading the SHSP has some “idealistic” mention of improving pedestrian safety but with no mention how money is supposed to get this stuff on to the ground to make things better. A plan with no funding is the same as no plan at all.<\/b> One way we have tried to do that is by law and to create Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Areas and finally after a decade we get one<\/a> and just one in an area with a low pedestrian fatality rate<\/a> (Montgomery County.)<\/p>\n

Current 5 year bike\/ped project plans are probably at an all time funding low but the real issue is most of these projects DO NOT address reducing bike\/ped crashes nor are they in areas of high pedestrian fatality rates. Is this a problem of the localities not willing to spend the money on improving the situation or MDOT in administrating Federal funds for bike\/ped safety is just not willing to spend Federal money on this issue? (To be clear MDOT is under obligating all Federal funds that could be used to help problem areas, sans Safe Routes to School but that is a very tiny pot.)<\/p>\n

The Secretary also mentioned crosswalk sting operations, are there pedestrian sting operations going on in Montgomery County? Sure but in Baltimore County we just ticket j-walkers<\/a>. Again note the difference in pedestrian fatality rates between the two counties.<\/a><\/p>\n

Overall the Secretary seems to be saying MDOT is doing something, for sure but there is a world of difference between doing things that have PROVEN to be effective and doing things that blame the victim<\/a>. Further reading: Blaming the pedestrian won\u2019t solve the problem<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more for the Secretary’s letter.<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n

\n

Thank you for your email to Governor Martin O\u2019Malley regarding pedestrian safety. The Governor has
\nreceived your email and asked me to respond on his behalf.<\/p>\n

Both traffic crashes that involve pedestrians and injuries suffered by pedestrians have declined in
\nMaryland in each of the last three years. Pedestrian fatalities, however, have remained unacceptably high.
\nWe agree with you that more can and must be done to reduce the loss of life among our most vulnerable
\nroad users.<\/p>\n

While some of the comments you read focused on the behavior of pedestrians, the Maryland Department
\nof Transportation (MDOT) and the State Highway Administration (SHA) recognize that driver behavior
\nand the physical environment affect pedestrian safety. We work tirelessly to address each of these
\ncontributing factors.<\/p>\n

The development and implementation of Maryland\u2019s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is being
\nupdated for the 201 1-2015 period. The SHSP includes pedestrian safety as one of six emphasis areas. A
\nteam has convened to shape the agenda for that emphasis area by identifying critical strategies that will
\nhelp to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving pedestrians. As part of this effort, representatives
\nfrom state and local agencies and organizations will review pedestrian crash data and survey effective and
\ninnovative countermeasures, including those to control vehicle speed and improve pedestrian mobility.
\nSenior management as well as technical staff will continue to analyze data to ensure that strategies are
\nadjusted as needed to reduce the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. State and local police and
\nother agencies also take part in the development and implementation of SHSP goals and strategies.<\/p>\n

Overall, our approach is grounded in the Three Es of traffic safety: engineering, education, and
\nenforcement. These three disciplines, taken together, provide the optimum program for good highway
\noperations. Sometimes, one strategy will draw from more than one of these disciplines, such as when we
\ncouple a public information campaign with increased law enforcement. An example is the Streetsmart
\npublic awareness and enforcement program which, since 2002, has focused on the Washington, D.C.
\nmetropolitan area. Streetsmart reminds drivers to comply with traffic laws that protect pedestrians and
\nallocates funds to local law enforcement agencies for increased enforcement of the law that requires
\nmotorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The Streetsmart program has expanded to the Baltimore
\nregion, in collaboration with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. The most recent Streetsmart campaign
\nattempted to raise awareness of the impact that vehicle speeds have on pedestrian safety. This campaign
\nwas coordinated with the Smooth Operator campaign (aimed at aggressive driving), which also combines
\neducational messages with increased law enforcement activity.<\/p>\n

The SHA has provided significant support for pedestrian safety enforcement activities through grants to
\nlaw enforcement agencies. The \u201csting\u201d operations noted in the Governor\u2019s Highway Safety Association
\nreport, in, which officers enter a crosswalk sufficiently in advance of an approaching vehicle and cite
\nthose drivers who fail to stop as required by law, have been carried out in numerous communities. To aid
\nlaw enforcement agencies, pedestrian safety law cards have been distributed and training has been
\nprovided. These cards are currently being revised and will include a reference to 521-504 of the
\nMaryland Code. [Motorists must exercise due care to avoid hitting pedestrians.]<\/p>\n

The SHA also manages the Maryland Safe Routes to School program. This program provides grants to
\nlocal agencies to facilitate projects and activities that will increase safety; reduce traffic, fuel
\nconsumption, and air pollution near elementary and middle schools; and promote a more healthful
\nlifestyle for students and their families. The Safe Routes to School program brings together parents,
\nschool administrators, and teachers along with other community groups and local agencies to improve the
\nphysical environment for walking.<\/p>\n

Thank you again for your email. The Governor appreciates hearing from you and, on his behalf, I also
\nthank you for your interest in this very important issue. If we may be of further assistance, please do not
\nhesitate to contact Mr. Tom Hicks, Director of Traffic and Safety, SHA at 410-787-5815, toll-free
\n1-888-963-0307 or via email at thicks@sha.state.md.us.<\/p>\n

Sincerely y,
\nBeverley K. Swaim-Staley
\nSecretary
\ncc:
\nMr. Tom Hicks, P.E., Director of Traffic and Safety, SHA
\nMr. Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, SHA
\n<\/big>oldId.20110318114606250<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Both traffic crashes that involve pedestrians and injuries suffered by pedestrians have declined in Maryland in each of the last three years.” – Beverley K. Swaim-Staley Secretary of Transportation So while pedestrian injuries have gone down 10%, what she fails to mention is that pedestrian fatalities have gone up 20%. But what’s even more alarming … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Secretary of Transportation Responds – Things have gotten better in the last three years”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195911166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-biking-in-maryland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195911166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195911166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195911166\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195911166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195911166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195911166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}