Chicago: Pedestrians safety first
Chicago unveiled a pedestrian safety plan (pdf) this week that includes implementation of traffic calming measures like pedestrian islands, chicanes, and midblock curb bumpouts, Streetsblog reported. The pedestrian refuge islands (photo above) have been shown to reduce pedestrian crashes by 56 percent. Chicago DOT director Gabe Klein says the city aims to cut pedestrian deaths from the current 50 annually to zero in 10 years. The city will tackle four dangerous intersections annually, based on crash data. The program includes enforcement and driver education. “We want pedestrian safety to be at the forefront of everything we do,” Klein told the Chicago Tribune. “Everyone in the city is a pedestrian.”
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