Hartford, Conn. (October 1,2014) - From 2006 to 2012, a total of 10,793 pedestrians and cyclists were killed or injured while using Connecticut roads, according to federal and state crash data registries. Now Connecticut has a law that helps hold accountable careless drivers who injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized "vulnerable users" of the state's roads.
The Vulnerable User law, Public Act 14-31, was signed into law on May 16, 2014. It takes effect today on October 1, 2014. Bike Walk Connecticut, the advocacy organization that works to make Connecticut a better place to bike and walk, pressed for the bill to be adopted this year. The Vulnerable User law requires a fine to be imposed on reckless motor vehicle drivers who cause the death or serious injury of a pedestrian, cyclist, wheelchair user, or other vulnerable users who were using reasonable care. The fine is capped at $1000. Bike Walk Connecticut's Executive Director, Kelly Kennedy, is quick to point out that "While the fine is in no way equivalent to the harm that reckless drivers can cause, the law is a step in the right direction. It reinforces the message that everybody needs to be vigilant, responsible and respectful of the fact that they're sharing the road with others." Fast Facts on the Vulnerable User Law
Tonight is the big night! The final public meeting with ConnDOT on the Merritt Parkway trail feasibility study is tonight at 7pm in Greenwich (Town Hall Meeting Room, Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd).
Please consider joining the Merritt Parkway Trail Alliance prior to the meeting at 5:30pm for a get together at Cosi (129 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich). The group will discus strategy, letters of support & next steps. Please email molly@greenway.org if you plan to be there. If you haven't already submitted a letter of support for the trail to DOT, please consider doing so and forward the template to your friends, family & colleagues (http://www.greenway.org/?attachment_id=4618). (See more below.) Let's keep the momentum going. Hope to see you tonight! Letter of Support Information Please support the Merritt Parkway Trail. October 3rd is the deadline for comments. If ConnDOT does not have enough people saying they favor, in concept only at this point, a multi-use trail that connects the 8 towns along the Merritt Parkway, this valuable project will die on the vine. There are a couple of points that people seem to be confused about:
Here is the URL to the form to support the trail: http://bit.ly/parkwaytrail And this is a link to read more about the trail itself. http://www.merrittparkwaytrail.org/ Bike Walk CT attended the gubernatorial candidates' forum on transportation today in North Haven. As CT News Junkie's Christine Stuart aptly noted, "Walking and biking were two forms of transportation not raised at the forum Monday." If we want Connecticut to be a better place to bike and walk, it's time to make walking and biking part of the mainstream transportation conversation.
Read the CT News Junkie article: Foley, Malloy Challenge Each Other Separately On Transportation Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he’s spending more on transportation than previous administrations, while Republican challenger Tom Foley said traffic congestion in Connecticut has gotten worse over the past few years. Malloy and Foley spoke separately Monday at a forum sponsored by a broad-based group of state and regional transportation organizations. Foley addressed the group first and was followed by Malloy. The two spoke separately about the balance between highways and public transit. Malloy wants to increase investment in both areas, but Foley would be focused mostly on highway expansion. “Any purposeful strategy to push people out of their cars and onto mass transit, I really don’t think is going to work,” Foley told the group at the Best Western in North Haven. Read the full story here. Other news coverage: Malloy, Foley Face Off On Transportation Today | FOX CT Foley: Traffic 'shameful'; Malloy claims progress Malloy, Foley Address Transportation Issues at Forum The Day - Malloy and Foley Address Transportation ... Foley, Malloy Vow to Spend More on Transit But No Plan to ... Here's some news you can use! Today's press release shows how the federal government is getting increasingly serious about bike/ped transportation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces New Initiative to Enhance Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
DOT to launch nationwide safety assessment of key bike/ped routes PITTSBURGH – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced a new initiative to reduce the growing number of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities through a comprehensive approach that addresses infrastructure safety, education, vehicle safety and data collection. The 18-month campaign will begin with road safety assessments conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation field offices in every state, and will produce multiple resources to help communities build streets that are safer for people walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation. Secretary Foxx made the announcement at the Pro Walk, Pro Bike, Pro Place conference, the largest gathering of, transportation engineers, city planners and professional bicycle-pedestrian safety advocates and practitioners in the country. “Safety is our highest priority and that commitment is the same regardless of which form of transportation people choose, including walking and biking,” Secretary Foxx said. “This initiative is aimed at reversing the recent rise in deaths and injuries among the growing number of Americans who bicycle or walk to work, to reach public transportation and to other important destinations.” Injuries and fatalities of pedestrian and people bicycling have steadily increased since 2009, at a rate higher than motor vehicle fatalities. From 2011 to 2012, pedestrian deaths rose 6 percent and bicyclist fatalities went up almost 7 percent. The new pedestrian and bicycle safety initiative will promote design improvements to ensure safe and efficient routes for pedestrians and bicycles, promote behavioral safety, and provide education to help individuals make safer travel choices. The initiative will also encourage vehicle safety by drawing on current crash avoidance technologies to alert motorists to the presence of bicyclists and pedestrians. The initiative will begin when the Department’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) field offices survey routes for pedestrians and cyclists with local transportation officials and stakeholders to understand where and why gaps exist in the non-motorized transportation network and strategize on ways to close them. Gaps are areas where the risk of a crash increases due to the lack of sidewalks or other safe infrastructure. The Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will participate in assessments to gain understanding of non-motorized crashes involving truck and trains. Among the many resources the Department will provide will be a guide to creating “road diets,” in which roadways with lower traffic volumes are redesigned to add space for bicycle riders and pedestrians. Studies show that road diets reduce all traffic crashes by an average of 29 percent, and when used on rural highways that pass through small towns, they can reduce crashes by almost half – 47 percent. Additional resources will help practitioners incorporate small safety improvements into many road projects, address “last mile” safety for people taking buses and trains, and make it easier for jurisdictions to count and plan for people traveling by foot and bicycle. The Department will work with local officials, advocacy groups, and safety organizations to help champion the use of the new resources by practitioners, law enforcement, and safety organizations. It also will convene meetings with practitioners and researchers about practices and policies that have been barriers to creating safer streets for non-motorized users. The initiative will also focus on improving pedestrian and bicycle routes that provide access to bus stops and train stations. Research has shown that lower income communities have disproportionately higher rates of pedestrian deaths, as well as less safe pedestrian infrastructure, despite higher reliance on non-motorized modes and public transportation. Click here for additional information on the pedestrian and bicycle safety initiative. Next Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Connecticut Department of Transportation will present its Merritt Parkway Trail feasibility study at Greenwich Town Hall. After their presentation the public will have a chance to ask questions and share why they support the trail (or why they do not). Over the last few months ConnDOT has held meetings like this in all the other towns through which the Parkway runs. The meeting in Greenwich next Tuesday will be the final one in this series, so it would be great to have as many supporters there as possible. Read more below. Download and distribute the flier at left. Website: www.merrittparkwaytrail.org Could it be that our advocacy is really bringing about change in the land of steady habits? Seeing full bike racks at schools like this make us think so. We're making strides in raising the profile of biking and walking in Connecticut. Cheers to the next generation of bike ped enthusiasts.
On June 19, 2014, CTDOT hosted a series of meetings with nearly 100 stakeholders from throughout the state to discuss key aspects of TransformCT, the Statewide Transportation Plan. Bike Walk CT was there to represent the interests of the bike/ped community.
The Department has just posted a summary of the events of that day on the project website at www.transformct.info. Look for the "Project Documents" tab on the navigation bar. There you will find a summary of both the morning and afternoon plenary sessions, as well as separate summaries of each breakout group meeting or Council. If you have any more ideas that you want to share with CTDOT, go to the "Contact Us" tab or the "Share Your Ideas" tab to respond to other related questions. There's a TRANSPORTATION FORUM with the gubernatorial candidates on Monday, Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Best Western Plus North Haven, 201 Washington Avenue, North Haven. More information
Connecticut Safe Routes to School will hold a regional workshop at the Taftville Fire Department on September 18th from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The workshop will cover the following topics: 1. What is Safe Routes to School? (SRTS) 2. Goals and History of Program 3. The Need for Safe Routes to School 4. Barriers to Walking/Biking to School 5. Health Impacts 6. Benefits of Walking/Biking to School 7. Discussion of the 5 "E's" of SRTS and practical applications 8. A walk around the school to identify issues/solutions 9. Observation of school dismissal and discussion of key points to look for at your school 10. How to start a Safe Routes to School Program Taftville Fire Department is located at 134 Providence Street. September 18, 2014 12:30 PM-3:30 PM Taftville Fire Department 134 Providence StreetTaftville, CT 06380 |
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