BlogWood: MT Archives

We're #1!

Well, Tampa’s finally hit the big time. No longer an also ran to cities like New Orleans, San Diego, and Pheonix, Tampa can take heart that we lead the nation in pedestrian traffic fatalities.

Cities in the South and West are the most dangerous for pedestrians, with four in Florida earning the dubious distinction of being the deadliest of all.

A private study released Thursday concluded that sprawling, newer cities in the South and West tend to be built with wide, high-speed roads that are especially dangerous for walking.

“So much of our transportation system is designed for cars and only cars,” said Anne Canby, president of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, which issued the report. The group advocates balanced transportation.

The report found that the 9,746 walkers who died in 2002-2003 were more likely to be killed on busy streets without crosswalks. Nearly 40 percent died where crosswalks weren’t available.
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Regional differences in walking safety are stark. Twice as many walkers die in traffic accidents in New Orleans, San Diego and Phoenix than in Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Boston.

People are three times more likely to be struck and killed on streets in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., Orlando and Miami-Fort Lauderdale than they are in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio.

Tampa ranks worst
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, characterized by traffic speeding along eight-lane boulevards, was ranked first for its dangerous roads, with 3.69 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002-2003.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio was announcing plans Thursday for improving pedestrian safety on Bay Shore Boulevard, one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Iorio was responding to public concern over a young female jogger who was killed in February by a speeding motorcyclist while she tried to cross the busy boulevard.

Fortunately, the plans that Pam announced fell far short of a panel’s recommendations, ‘cause we sure don’t want to lose this title next year.

Bayshore Boulevard is not getting traffic lights or lower speed limits this year.

Instead, Mayor Pam Iorio on Wednesday announced four other safety improvements for the scenic road:

* Construction of a sidewalk along the southbound lanes between Howard Avenue and Bay to Bay Boulevard.

* Installation of two dynamic speed signs at strategic locations. The signs tell drivers how fast they are traveling.

* Placement of signs indicating entrances to Bayshore.

* Development of a public awareness campaign encouraging drivers and pedestrians to become more aware of their surroundings and asking drivers to slow down.
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In the city's 2005 budget, $200,000 was earmarked for Bayshore safety improvements. Each year, more recommendations will be considered as money is available.

Steve Daignault, the city's administrator of public works and utility services, could not be reached for comment on why traffic lights were not included.

Task force member Vicki Pollyea, president of the Bayshore Gardens Neighborhood Association, said she was dismayed the mayor did not include the lights.

``I was really hoping that was going to be one of the initial moves that she took,'' Pollyea said. ``The other ideas are great, but they do not provide for people to safely cross.''