October celebrates National Pedestrian Safety Month. The campaign advocates for everyone to have the right to walk or roll nationwide safely. Fatalities and serious injuries among pedestrians have increased nationwide. According to reports from the United States Department of Transportation, from 2020 to 2021, there was a 12.5% increase in pedestrian fatalities and an 11% increase in serious injuries. Whether you cycle, walk, carpool, or take transit, you are a pedestrian at some point in your transportation journey. To recognize this, our department is sharing the 2023 pedestrian improvement plans and projects to enhance pedestrian walkability, visibility, and safety across Durham.
Pedestrian Improvement Plans:
Vision Zero Coordinator:
Funding to hire a full-time Vision Zero coordinator was approved in the FY2024 budget. Vision Zero is an approach to end fatalities and serious injuries in transportation by using strategies to increase safety and mobility. Tactics include reducing speed, restructuring roads for multi-modal use, and increasing road safety education for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The department is still recruiting applicants to fill the role, hoping to hire a new staff person in fiscal year 2024.
Neighborhood Bike Routes:
This year, we announced the Neighborhood Bike Routes project. This project installed seven miles of bike lanes across streets with low traffic volumes and speeds in downtown Durham. The roads are also suitable for walking and will help connect residents in Durham to stores, jobs, libraries, and other places across downtown. Across town, signage has been installed to mark the areas.
Pedestrian Improvement Projects:
Earlier this year, our department’s sign and signal shop installed new high-visibility and audible crosswalks in prominent areas across the City. High-visibility crosswalks are essential because they help increase driver visibility as they approach the crosswalk areas. The graphic below from the Federal Highway Administration shows the impact of high-visibility crosswalks on drivers and pedestrians.
High Visibility Crosswalk on Magnum and Pettigrew Street:
Crosswalk and Signage on Duke University Drive and Underwood:
Pedestrian Audio Push Button on Dillard and Liberty Street:
New Crosswalk and Buffers Installed near CC Spaulding Elementary School on Roxboro Street:
Traffic Calming Measures:
The crucial component to stopping pedestrian fatalities and injuries is more than crosswalks and signage. It also includes tactics to slow down the flow of traffic. The City’s Sign and Signal shop crew reduced speeds throughout Durham.
We are all pedestrians. While celebrating the benefits of walking, let’s be safe drivers and walkers. Drivers always yield to pedestrians, slow down, and prepare to stop when entering a crosswalk area. Pedestrians follow the rules of the road and look in every direction for vehicles or bikes when crossing the street. Everyone has the right to walk and roll, and the City’s Department of Transportation is working to improve our infrastructure daily. We are excited to welcome the new projects, staff members, and opportunities to continue increasing walkability and safety for all.