2010 Annual Report - Maryland State Highway Administration

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III
Highway Safety
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
On a percentage basis, yearly pedestrian fatalities fluctuate even more than
overall fatalities, making trends hard to identify. Over the past decade, annual
pedestrian fatalities have ranged between approximately 95 and 120. Despite
education, engineering and enforcement efforts, the state actually is no closer
to the 2010 target of fewer than 85 pedestrian fatalities now than it was in
2006. Compared to a decade ago, pedestrians have been experiencing fewer
reported injuries. The 2,340 pedestrians injured in CY 2009 were about 10
percent fewer than those injured in 1998. Achieving the target of fewer than
2,300 pedestrians injured per year by the end of CY 2010 is within reach.
SHA has the following engineering programs dedicated to improving pedestrian
and bicycle safety on SHA roads. These programs are in addition to the
construction and improvement of sidewalks that are discussed in the Mobility
and Congestion Relief chapter of this report.
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
Maryland Statewide Pedestrian
Fatalities
Accessible pedestrian signals (APS) enhance safety for all pedestrians. They
include visual, audible and tactile features that provide warnings for all
people and meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) of 1990. In FY 2010, 528 signal locations, or 35 percent of all
identified locations, were APS-upgraded.
Calendar Year
About 95 percent of the locations identified for upgraded school zone/
pedestrian crossing signs have been replaced with a new sign in the
preferred highly reflective green/yellow color.
SHA provided enforcement and education programs to assist in pedestrian and
bicycle safety.
SHA targeted enforcement and education funds for areas with a history of
high pedestrian injuries and fatalities, based on a review of 2007 crash data
that looked at contributing factors and locations to determine the most
effective course of action. SHA developed pedestrian focus areas in Prince
George’s County using available crash data, and conducted direct outreach
in partnership with CASA of Maryland in Langley Park and WPGC radio in
District Heights to support the broader StreetSmart regional pedestrian and
bicycle safety program.
The StreetSmart pedestrian safety program, developed for the Washington,
DC, metropolitan region and supported by SHA, launched its 2010 campaign
with a press event in Silver Spring in March. The program was expanded
this year to include the Baltimore metropolitan region, in coordination with
the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, under a grant from SHA. The inaugural
program focused on the message "Cross like your life depends on it" for
pedestrians, and focused on Baltimore City and Baltimore County areas.
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Maryland Statewide Pedestrian
Injuries
Calendar Year
20
STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION | FY 2010 Annual Report