I missed this article from yesterday's Trib. Mt. Lebanon to address pedestrian safety
The panel will include management analyst John Stinner; Thomas Klevan, manager of multimodal planning for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which handles regional planning, prioritization and funding of transportation projects; Bike Pittsburgh advocacy director Eric Boer; PennDOT traffic engineer Phil Mutunga; Lt. Duane Fisher of the Mt. Lebanon Police traffic division; and Michael Haberman, traffic engineer for Gateway Engineers.
The commission work session is going on right now. sigh.
Update July 28, 2015 10:33 AM I'm convinced that my commissioner is as crazy as the one she replaced. Here is what Matt Santoni tweeted last night during the meeting:
Update July 28, 2015 10:33 AM I'm convinced that my commissioner is as crazy as the one she replaced. Here is what Matt Santoni tweeted last night during the meeting:
#MtLebo commission consensus seems to emphasize educating pedestrians & drivers; seeking more resources for @MtLebanonPolice enforcement
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 13h13 hours agoTraffic engineer Mike Haberman to #MtLebo: all traffic-calming measures (bump-outs, speed humps) should increase driver awareness.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 14h14 hours ago
Fisher recommends #MtLebo pass an ordinance allowing cops to cite ppl who cross against signals or outside crosswalks. Not common in suburbs
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 14h14 hours ago
Fisher says many pedestrians at fault in crashes- distracted, not obeying signs, jaywalking. Up to 65% at fault in #MtLebo crashes.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 14h14 hours ago
@MtLebanonPolice Lt Fisher: citations steady at ~4100/yr; crashes ~600/yr, between 10-18 pedestrians hit per year b/t 2010-2014
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 14h14 hours ago
@MtLebanonPolice Lt Fisher: "U-shaped" relationship b/t speed & crashes; more crash @ higher & lower speeds (distracted more @ lower speed)
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 15h15 hours ago
Timeline could have been issue with seeking grant $; self-funding could make 3-yr process a 3-mo process, #mtlebo traffic engineer says.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 15h15 hours ago
#MtLebo commissioner @KellyFraasch says it took years to get @PennDOTNews to fix up mid block crosswalk on Washington Rd.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 15h15 hours ago
Boer: @BikePGH working to create local bike-ped committees; could look at one in #MtLebo.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
Now Eric Boer of @BikePGH talking to #MtLebo about safe biking practices. Largest cohort of mbrs outside PGH live in S. Hills.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
Tom Klevan of SPC talks about all the funding srcs available to #MtLebo that could go to pedestrian or bike projects, incl. TAP, CMAQ
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
Stinner: #MtLebo educates kids well but not adults. Has TV station, @mtlmagazine, biz district advertising it can use to do outreach.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
#MtLebo commissioner Vuono concerned about more signs for pedestrians, says having too many is distracting drivers already.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
Analyst John Stinner notes high incidence of jaywalking in #MtLebo, no signs warning against it or penalties for it.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
OC uses mascots, sign carriers, PSAs, posters & stuff at local biz like coasters to encourage safe walking during summer tourist swarms.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
Looking @ best practices like NYC's Vision Zero goal of no traffic fatalities, Ocean City Md's "walk smart" initiative.
Matthew Santoni @msantoni 16h16 hours ago
At #MtLebo mtg on traffic/ped safety, consultant says there were 82 ped/bike v car crashes in Lebo since 2010.
Update July 28, 2015 6:41 PM Mt. Lebanon commissioners look to improve traffic safety
Just saw Brumfield interviewed on KDKA. As always, he said a pile of crap. He did mention fatalities and that it is something we need to work on or some such thing. Funny, never mentioned deer in connection with those fatalities. Didn't mention deer at all on the interview.
ReplyDeleteFlipped to another local station and caught the very end of the report on tonight's meeting. The graphic said, "Mt. Lebanon Pedestrian Problem." I have a funny feeling that the muni may be shifting blame (for those fatalities and other vehicle accidents) to pedestrians--- again.
One common sense solution would be correcting the light timing so the green right turn arrow lights are not illuminated at the same time as the white walk lights for pedestrians crossing the path.
ReplyDeleteI know the PIO was blaming people in wheelchairs. Was that on Facebook? I can't remember. So classless.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Are our dubious commissioners aware that there are safety transportation guidelines already developed?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous.
http://safety.transportation.org/htmlguides/speeding/section05.htm
So the deer are to blame for car accidents and now pedestrians are to blame for car accidents. So are we going to cull jaywalkers now? I guess drivers are not to blame.
ReplyDeleteElaine
The Almanac had a wacky story about this.
ReplyDeleteMt. Lebanon commissioners look to improve traffic safety " It’s kind of like putting 10 pounds of flower in a five-pound bag.” Ten pounds of flowers that the deer ate?
I would like to know about our part time management analyst, John Stunner/Jeff Stinner a.k.a John Stinner.
Brumfield's quote is epic. "If we can improve the pedestrian’s behavior, we can improve everything.”
Elaine
If we can improve Brumfield's behavior, we can improve everything else in this community, along with the other commissioners! Hahahahah!
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me like Mr Brumfield may want to try to be a pedestrian a bit more himself. Dave, it's a walking community. You should try it out. Lacrosse isn't the only sport out there. Every step you take is a step forward to a healthier lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThey had Haberman draft a pedestrian ordinance many, many months ago. They plan and stage these events for quite a while. They will start penalizing random pedestrians so that there are fewer pedestrians, and ultimately fewer fatalities and injuries. This is anything BUT a walking community.
ReplyDeleteSo the next thing I am guessing they are preparing to stage is Stinner taking over for Feller. Why not? Why does Mt Lebanon have a "management analyst" when we have a manager?
As I indicated in another comment elsewhere on the Blog, we have TWICE the National Average of accidents involving pedestrians/vehicles. I guess the Commissioners REALLY DO believe our pedestrians are twice as stupid as the national average. To believe otherwise would mean that our drivers must be twice as stupid as the national average as proved by their abilities to hit anything (and I mean ANYTHING)that gets in their paths). WHY do they have to blame the pedestrians? To do otherwise would be to give up their best excuse yet for killing our deer!
ReplyDelete