ROANOKE, Va. – Is speeding a problem downtown where there are a lot of pedestrians?
“It can be, generally like when we do a speed study in dense areas like this, it’s not like you see a lot of cars. You can see how slow these cars are moving behind us. It just feels like there’s a lot going on here. So motorists tend to drive slower, but it’s incredibly important that motorists are driving slow in downtown and pedestrian dense areas. We know that if you’re a pedestrian and you’re struck by a motor vehicle that’s going 20 miles an hour, the survivability rate is 90% or better, but if it’s 30 miles an hour or more, then it’s harder, and the percentage drops really quickly. So if you’re a motorist and you’re driving in any pedestrian dense area, it’s really important to think about 20 miles an hour or less as the safe vehicle speed for that context.”
Are there any trends that are specific to downtown versus other parts of the city?
“I think in downtown, where we have lots of sidewalks and a lot of pedestrian activity, we are constantly looking at improvements. So the city has been making safety improvements since the beginning, but we’re doing updated ADA compliant ramps to make the downtown environment safer and more comfortable for all the users, whether you’re able bodied, young old, and we know that if environment feels safe for the most vulnerable users, like young children and the elderly, then it’s also going to be really safe for everybody else. So those are our kind of benchmarks for have we achieved a safe space for all of our all of our residents that are using that space.”
What general advice or tips do you have for pedestrians walking downtown?
“So, just like motorists, when you’re walking around downtown, you don’t want to be distracted or on your phone. It’s important to be engaged and clear-headed. Look before crossing the street, make sure you’re crossing at intersections where possible, because that’s where motorists are expecting to see pedestrians. And also, our city has a policy to daylight intersections where there’s no parking allowed within 20 feet of an intersection. So if you cross at an intersection, the motorists can see you better, so basically, keeping your head on a swivel so you’re looking around, you’re crossing when there’s openings, you’re making eye contact with motorists. And being safe, don’t be distracted and on your phone or otherwise distracted in any way.”