R2CTPO Pedestrian Safety Press Release

 

Contact: Pamela Blankenship                                                                                                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tel. 386-226-0422 ext. 20416

Email: PBlankenship@www.r2ctpo.org

 

RIVER TO SEA TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION (TPO)

PLACES HIGH PRIORITY ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

On January 10, 2017, the National Complete Streets Coalition released Dangerous by Design 2016, their flagship report intended to draw attention to transportation-related pedestrian deaths.  The report uses a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) to identify areas that have a higher likelihood for a person travelling on foot to be hit by a vehicle and killed. The PDI is based on the share of local commuters who walk to work and five years of data (2009-2014) on pedestrian fatalities.  The 2016 report listed the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach area as the fifth most dangerous area in the nation for pedestrian fatalities.

“The River to Sea TPO has shown a long-standing commitment to improving pedestrian safety through the five-E’s of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation.” said Executive Director Lois Bollenback.  “Over the years we’ve worked closely with local, regional and state stakeholders to understand and address pedestrian safety issues throughout our community.”  The TPO also prioritizes funding for projects that improve unsafe conditions. Recent studies and activities include:

  • Pedestrian Law Enforcement Training
  • School Safety Studies for all Elementary and Middle Schools in Volusia County
  • Participation in Community Awareness Events such as International Walk to School Day, Walking School Bus, National School Bus Safety Week and White Cane Awareness

The TPO is currently working on several projects including:

  • SR/CR A1A Pedestrian Safety & Mobility Study
  • Flagler Bicycle & Pedestrian School Safety Review studies
  • Project Feasibility studies for Port Orange Sidewalk Gaps, 15th Street Sidewalk, Center Avenue Sidewalk, East Highbanks Road Sidewalk
  • Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) Action Plan
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (with the goals of reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities)

In addition, the River to Sea TPO partners with other organizations such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow, Safe Kids Coalition, Community Traffic Safety Teams, Volusia County Health Department, Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office to coordinate efforts that promote community health and safety.

The TPO recognizes that there is still much work to be done in order to improve pedestrian safety; the agency will continue to prioritize projects and promote activities that will improve these statistics and ultimately save lives.

For additional information, please contact Pamela Blankenship at:

River to Sea TPO

2570 W. International Speedway Blvd., Suite 100

Daytona Beach, FL 32114

PBlankenship@www.r2ctpo.org

386-226-0422 ext. 20416 

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