Much like most major cities, in Seattle there are currently a number of construction projects underway. Old buildings have been demolished to give way to new apartment complexes, office buildings, and retail establishments. It’s exciting to see different neighborhoods getting more built up, but there’s been an irksome downside to all the construction (well, aside [...]
GJEL Blog » Pedestrian Safety
How much of an inconvenience to pedestrians are construction sites?
Posted Wednesday, March 13th, 2013What’s the true measure of a city’s walkability?
Posted Friday, February 22nd, 2013Despite offering a good starting point, there’s still plenty of information missing when you look at the Walkscore of a specific location. As has been pointed out plenty of times there are some serious limitations when it comes to the most prominently cited rankings of a neighborhood’s walkability. In addition to not considering factors like [...]
Nevada bill seeks to ban pedestrians from using cell phones while crossing the street
Posted Friday, February 15th, 2013Distracted driving is a serious threat to street safety, but what about distracted walking? A new bill in Nevada would make it illegal for pedestrians to text, enter data, or otherwise read information on their cell phone while in the process of crossing a street. The bill, introduced by Democratic Las Vegas Assemblyman Harvey Munford [...]
Does jaywalking enforcement encourage ‘victim blaming’ mentality when it comes to pedestrian deaths?
Posted Thursday, January 31st, 2013An article from the DC Area blog “Greater Greater Washington” posed an interesting question about whether a recent pedestrian enforcement campaign is essentially “blaming the victim” by targeting the wrong people for the wrong types of behavior. The sign (pictured to the right) encourages pedestrians to avoid distractions, always use a crosswalk, and obey the [...]
SFPD ramps up traffic enforcement, targets right-of-way infractions against pedestrians
Posted Thursday, January 3rd, 2013Thanks to a $140,000 federal grant, the San Francisco Police Department will be stepping up traffic enforcement efforts in 2013. SFPD plans to focus on some of the city’s most vulnerable areas, including schools and senior centers, cracking down on traffic violations that threaten pedestrian safety. Drivers failing to adhere to pedestrian safety laws will [...]
Help TransForm reach their fundraising goal before the end of the year
Posted Friday, December 21st, 2012With the end of the year fast approaching, our friends at TransForm are trying to set themselves up for success in 2013 by raising $75,000 to help them continue their pursuit of creating world-class public transportation and walkable communities for everyone. The Bay Area non-profit organization has been working to influence policy and develop innovative [...]
Take SFMTA’s customer satisfaction survey, give your opinion on street safety
Posted Wednesday, September 12th, 2012The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is polling Bay Area residents on their customer experiences. The short survey asks for feedback on a variety of topics, from the timeliness of busses, cleanliness and availability of cabs, to street safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Results of the survey will be published later this year, and [...]
Support Pedestrian Advocacy by Participating in the 8th Annual Peak2Peak Walk
Posted Friday, September 7th, 2012Saturday, September 15th will mark the 8th Annual Peak2Peak Walk, an event led by the pedestrian advocacy group Walk SF. The walk begins in the heart of the Mission and includes a lunch stop for a picnic in Golden Gate Park. During the 14 mile walk, participants will discover hidden stairways and explore new paths [...]
New poll shows SF pedestrians want increased safety, more traffic enforcement
Posted Thursday, August 23rd, 2012A recent survey conducted by the Bay Citizen is showing that despite being considered one of the top U.S. cities for walking, San Francisco pedestrians don’t always feel safe on city streets. The survey found that nearly half of the 98 respondents wanted increased enforcement from police when it comes to ticketing drivers and cyclists. [...]
15 Back to School Safety Tips for Kids and Drivers
Posted Tuesday, August 21st, 2012Summer vacation is coming to an end and the back to school blitz is officially here. With kids getting set to resume their daily commute, and some younger children getting ready to start school for the first time, now is the perfect opportunity to review some key safety tips for children and motorists alike. A [...]
Why Pedestrian Safety Matters: A Look at the Numbers that Shape San Francisco’s Streets
Posted Friday, July 20th, 2012Much has already been written about the cuts to pedestrian related projects in the new Federal Transportation Bill. Fortunately, there are still people out there actively campaigning for pedestrian safety and better streets, not just for vehicles, but for everyone. As part of our ongoing partnership with Walk SF, we’ve developed the following graphic that [...]
Moreno Valley launching a pedestrian safety campaign
Posted Wednesday, May 30th, 2012Yesterday Moreno Valley, California police passed out flyers promoting pedestrian safety in Riverside County. According to the Press-Enterprise, a pedestrian is injured or killed in California every hour, and in 2009 pedestrians comprised almost 1 out of 5 deaths from traffic collisions, which is 58% higher than the national average. Moreno Valley hopes to bring [...]
City of Vancouver finds ‘jaywalking’ rarely the cause of pedestrian accidents
Posted Thursday, May 10th, 2012A new study using accident data from Insurance Corp. of B.C. and the Vancouver Police Department determined that nearly 75 percent of all pedestrian accidents occur at intersections, with relatively few caused by jaywalkers. Of the just over 3,000 pedestrian accidents reported between 2005 and 2010, the vast majority involved vehicles making left or right [...]
235 People Participate in Walk to Work Day Contest, GJEL Donates $2000 to Walk SF
Posted Tuesday, April 17th, 2012On Friday, April 6th, GJEL partnered with the pedestrian safety advocacy group Walk SF to encourage Bay Area residents to take part in Walk to Work Day and share their participation online. The goal of the campaign was to not just get as many people walking to work as possible, but also to find a [...]
GJEL is Partnering with Walk SF for Walk to Work Day on Friday, April 6th
Posted Monday, April 2nd, 2012Walk to Work Day is this Friday, and GJEL is excited to partner with Walk SF to encourage people all across the city to conduct their daily commute on foot. For everyone who walks to work and shares it on either Facebook or Twitter, GJEL will be donating $25 to Walk SF in order to [...]
New York uses poetry to promote pedestrian safety
Posted Tuesday, March 20th, 2012New York is taking a unique approach to raising awareness for pedestrian safety. As part of an art installation, poetry designed to subtly raise pedestrian awareness have been posted throughout the city. The New York Department of Transportation has posted 200 signs combining art and safety, offering up “curbside haikus” to warn pedestrians of potential [...]
Volvo designs external vehicle airbags to help increase pedestrian safety
Posted Monday, March 12th, 2012Volvo has always been at the forefront of safety technology, having developed a slew of features that other major car manufacturers have since copied (the three-point safety belt, safety glass, and the first frontal air bag, to name a few). Now it seems as if the company is thinking even further outside the box by [...]
Walk to Work Day and Bike to School Day right around the corner
Posted Friday, March 9th, 2012Grab that highlighter and mark your calendar because two important holidays are on the horizon. No, I’m not referring to St. Patrick’s Day or April Fool’s Day, I’m talking about the even more important Walk to Work Day and Bike to School Day. The first event is Walk to Work Day, which will be taking [...]
“Google Glasses” could be both a blessing and a curse for drivers and pedestrians
Posted Monday, February 27th, 2012The latest technological rumor circling search engine giant Google is that they’re developing a pair of glasses that can stream real-time information to the wearer’s eyes. This type of technology might seem like something straight out of Minority Report or a similar futuristic sci-fi movie, but it’s actually been implemented by military and commercial pilots [...]
Lack of police action over pedestrian injury poses a major concern
Posted Friday, February 24th, 2012An incident last week in which a man using a crosswalk was hospitalized after being hit by a shuttle bus only served to exacerbate feelings that when it comes to pedestrians getting hit, police are reluctant to take action against drivers…even when the driver is clearly at fault. Video footage of the collision shows that [...]
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