Oakland Walks!

OakDOT
Call Dangerous out titleBy Design
In addition to human factors, the following
physical characteristics of the roadway network
have been found to be common across the
high-priority collision locations (listed in no
particular order).
• More than four traffic lanes (two or more each way)
with no median
• No pedestrian signal or countdown signal
• No pedestrian call button
• Off-set or closely spaced intersections (within 80-150
feet of one another)
• One or more bus stops
A 2015 study of 42 high-collision intersections
in Oakland identified additional characteristics
that are associated with a high risk of pedestrian
collisions, including:
• Parallel curb parking with a daylighting (restriction of
parking near an intersection) distance of less than 15
feet
• Having at least one intersection approach without a
marked crosswalk
• Having an average curb to curb street crossing
distance of greater than 66 feet
Pedestrian Collisions by Race
Oakland is the most racially diverse city
in America, 3, 4 with an overall population
that is 74% non-white and approximately
equal proportions of white, African
American and Hispanic/Latino residents.
Nonetheless, racial and ethnic traffic
fatalities varies greatly, as shown in Table
2.4.
Studies show a strong relationship
between race and the likelihood of being
killed by a vehicle as a pedestrian. 5
The Centers for Disease Control found
that nationwide, African American and
Hispanic people have twice the likelihood
of being killed in a pedestrian collision as
people of other races and ethnicities. 5
At the Statewide level, Asian/Pacific
Islanders 65 years and older have the
highest death and hospitalization rates
of any age group. Locally, Figure 2.4
shows that Oakland pedestrians of Asian
descent die at twice the citywide rate.
The Black and Hispanic population in
Oakland is almost twice as likely to die in
a pedestrian collision as the
White population. This data reflects
that in Oakland, as in many American
communities, people of color often live,
and therefore walk, in particular areas of
the City where walking conditions may
be safe.
Table 2.4: Traffic Fatalities By Race
Race or
Ethnicity
Number of
Fatalities
Asian 11 31%
Black 9 25%
Hispanic (any
race)
10 28%
White 5 14%
Other 1 3%
Total 36 100%
Source: Oakland Police Department, 2008-2014*
Fatalities (%)
*Note: This data, collected by the Oakland Police
Department, determines race or ethnicity at the time of
the collision. An individual could identify as Black and
Hispanic/Latinoo but be recorded in the police report
as Black. Or an individual could identify as Hispanic and
be marked White. The data is not accurate and could
be underreporting traffic fatalities by race. Additionally,
a study completed by the San Francisco Department
of Public Health analyzed data from San Francisco
General Hospital and found that patients who were
admitted with severe injuries due to a transportation
related collision outnumbered the data reported by the
San Francisco Police Department. The data, analyzed
from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2105, found that 515
patients with severe injuries were admitted for traffic
related incidents, as compared to 200 SFPD reports
that cited severe injuries. There are several reasons that
could lead to underreporting, including police officers
who are not trained medical professionals, highway
collisions which are outside the jurisdiction of SFPD,
and simply not reporting injuries to the police. The data
indicates that police reports should not be the sole
source for assessing traffic injuries.6
3, 4. Cima, Rosie. (2015). Priceonomics; data via
American Community Survey 2013.
5. Centers for Disease Control. (2013). Motor Vehicle
Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths — United States,
2001–2010.
6. Vision Zero SF: http://sf.streetsblog.org/wp-content/
uploads/sites/3/2015/09/SevereInjuriesSF_2014_15_
PSAC.pdf
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