Report emphasizes pedestrian concerns

According to a report released to Historic City News reporters yesterday, Florida ranks as the “most dangerous state for pedestrians” and is also home to the top four “worst cities for pedestrian safety”.

St. Augustine has been struggling with the dilemma for years — how do we manage pedestrian traffic for the 21st century using streets and sidewalks designed in the 1500’s and 1600’s?

The Transportation for America and American Association of Retired Persons report, titled “Dangerous by Design” shows that over the past ten years, a total of 5,163 people were killed walking in Florida, while 47,700 pedestrians were killed nationally.

The study not only ranks Florida as the “most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians” but also ranks the Orlando metropolitan area as the most dangerous in the country. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area round out the top four.

St. Augustine’s latest effort, “Reconnecting the Castillo”, has received strong resident support for improvements to pedestrian traffic flow between the Colonial Spanish Quarter, operated by the City, and the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, operated by the National Park Service.

Castillo Superintendent Gordie Wilson has previously stated that the safety of the monument’s well over 1,600 guests per day is of paramount concern. “The importance of moving guests safely from the Castillo to parking facilities, the bayfront and other parts of town can’t be overstated.”

Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida state director, said that the state’s roads are designed without any acknowledgement that not everyone drives as a means of travel and noted that Florida has notoriously dominated reports on dangerous places for pedestrians.

“It’s not surprising,” said Johnson. “If you live in the state you too often read about traffic fatalities that involve pedestrians.”

The report comes after another session when traffic safety measures proposed by the Florida Legislature failed to pass. Regulations on texting while driving have notably been shot down in the past, and, in 2011, two bills, HB 79 and SB 158, were never taken up in committee meetings. However, HB 689 was passed and it will require driver education classes to teach students the risks associated with texting while driving.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t paying attention to what is in front of them while driving, but rather paying attention to their phone,” Johnson said. “Until the Legislature puts enforcements in for those texting while driving, we will have more pedestrian deaths as result of distracted drivers.”

Florida is one of 10 states in the country that does not regulate texting while driving in any way, and is also one of six states that does not allow local governments to adopt their own ordinances against texting while driving.

The report suggests several ways that roads can be constructed to create a safer environment for pedestrians, including using traffic calming designs to slow traffic, constructing usable sidewalks and bicycle lanes, as well as creating city plans geared towards more walkable communities.

The study suggests that improving roads with pedestrian safety in mind could save Floridians and others money by having them turn towards alternative methods of transportation.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer