Pedestrians

Question: The Galloping Goose Trail is shared by pedestrians and high speed cyclists. Should one walk facing the traffic or keep right? I see both happening and there are arguments in support of both. I often have difficulty hearing cyclists and there is frequently not any warning.

When the light changes to green, drivers who intend to turn right or left are often focused on finding a gap in vehicle traffic to take advantage of. Pedestrians in the crosswalk are often not seen and a collision is the result. Leading pedestrian intervals are a simple walk light timing change that can help prevent these incidents.

I read the Victoria Times Colonist on line each morning and a story about jaywalking caught my attention. After reading the story all I am left with is the feeling that the situation was poorly explained and readers might decide that the police should have been doing more important things than enforcing pedestrian bylaws.

Kristen Kringhaug was standing in the driveway of her townhouse complex supervising four children ranging in age from two to four years old while they rode their bicycles. Li Men drove into the complex at low speed, prompting Ms. Kringhaug to begin to shepherd the children off of the driveway onto the grass shoulder. The two year old stopped and did not move off of the driveway, so Ms.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs seek to increase the number of students who use active transportation (walking & cycling) methods to travel to and from school. Increasing physical activity has the potential to improve health. SRTS programs aim to accomplish this goal through engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, equity, and evaluation.

"Don't pedestrians have to use the sidewalks?" asks a reader. The concern expressed here is that when a safe place is provided for pedestrians away from traffic flow, some people choose not to use it. The reader observes that these people make life difficult for drivers by adding one more hazard on the roadway.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has released an idea book for law enforcement personnel to assist them in supporting pedestrian and bicycle safety. It is a collection of case studies from around the US that shares programs and practices implemented in communities and explains their impact.

One would think that the most likely pedestrian to be struck on our highways would be a child. They are impulsive, may not follow the rules because they don't know them, and have not yet had the experience to fear the outcome of a bad decision.

This case involves a Shaw Cablesystems van driven by Mauricio Batin and a mobility scooter driven by Najafholi Nikkhah at the intersection of Queens Avenue and 8th Street in New Westminster. Mr. Batin was driving along Queens Avenue to make a right turn at 8th Steet and Mr. Nikkhah was using the marked crosswalk on 8th Avenue to cross Queens Avenue.

Here is an interesting document from our friends Down Under at the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC): Understanding Pedestrian Crashes in Victoria. Chances are good that the information presented is equally applicable here in British Columbia.