Top-Down or Bottom-Up? Uncovering Factors that Influence Pedestrian Safety Programs ( breakout presentation )

Abstract

Background Pedestrian fatalities have been rising in the US steadily for nearly a decade, now accounting for 18 percent of all road fatalities. This cost is exacerbated in US cities, where 76 percent of all pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2015. Given the prevalence of walking in US cities this imbalance is not surprising. What is surprising is the range of responses US cities have to addressing the problem of pedestrian safety. Cities similar in their size, density, economic health and a host of other factors appear to have remarkably different approaches to improving conditions for walking. What factors influence a city’s response to these alarming safety trends, and what ingredients are needed to mobilize the necessary levels of support to properly address the problem? Description of Program Seth LaJeunesse (Senior Research Associate) will share findings from a comprehensive assessment of US cities’ Vision Zero programs. Mr. LaJeunesse and HSRC colleagues have learned how framing safety in “Vision Zero” terms have tended to create a sense of urgency among diverse stakeholders to take swift and meaningful action to address pedestrian safety. Their findings also reveal the bottom-up and top-down nature of change in how community members both push for better walking conditions (bottom-up), yet are also influenced by city and workplace policies that support walking (top-down). Dan Gelinne (Research Associate) will share the experience of a program funded by the US DOT to support training and technical assistance for the US cities with the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities. An assessment of those cities’ reveals lessons for others seeking to respond to safety problems. Mr. Gelinne will also share the experience of the Walk Friendly Communities program, a national initiative that provides a comprehensive assessment of a city’s pedestrian programs and initiatives. Implications Drawing upon what they have learned throughout these efforts, Mr. LaJeunesse and Mr. Gelinne will share those elements that make up high quality pedestrian programs while inspiring attendees to think critically about how to create communities that serve pedestrians of all ages and abilities.