New Report Shows Safe Crossings a Key Ingredient for a Safer, More Walkable Region:
Local Walking Advocacy Organization Identifies Key Findings and Needed Actions to Improve Pedestrian Safety
by Willamette Pedestrian Coalition
A newly released report and action plan identifies the most crucial needs for safer and more convenient walking conditions regionally, with the most prominent needs emerging as safe crossings, walkable destinations and universal access for everyone.
The need for safer walking conditions has been made disturbingly evident in recent weeks. Oregon has experienced an 80% increase in pedestrian crashes over last year, demonstrating the immediate need in our community for drastic change in our traffic system and culture. The new report, Getting Around on Foot Action Plan from the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, identifies pedestrian needs and priorities for making walking conditions safer and more convenient throughout the Portland metropolitan region.
A more walkable region brings more benefits than safety, as the report shows and Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten states: “From both an environmental and economic standpoint, our County, Region, indeed our Nation can not succeed in the coming decades unless we make our communities far more walkable and we all do far more walking. Locally, we need the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition to help us reach those objectives.”
Drawing on survey responses from residents and neighborhoods region-wide, interviews with regional planners, reviews of cities and counties’ current transportation plans, and case studies of eight different local walking environments, the report and action plan describes twelve key findings that can promote healthy communities and defines ten actions that decisionmakers and planners should undertake to improve safety for everyone and for all modes. According to Rob Sadowsky of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, “We are in this effort together and the end game is about connectivity and accessibility for all. This report will help set the table for building a greater understanding of the need for increasing funding and for policy change that will improve our neighborhoods.”