A study released last week by the Active Transportation Alliance (ATA) ranks Oak Park the sixth most dangerous suburban municipality for pedestrians and cyclists attempting to cross streets.
The ATA analyzed Illinois Department of Transportation data from 2004 to 2007 and identifies suburban communities with the highest rates of pedestrian crashes based on population. The rate is equal to the number of pedestrian crashes per 1,000 residents. That analysis does not include the City of Chicago, which has one of the top five highest rates of pedestrian crashes in the United States.
While saying he’d have to look more closely at the study’s methodology before commenting on any statistical ranking, Oak Park Police Chief Rick Tanksley said he fully supported the report’s intent.
“I applaud this organization for bringing this issue to the forefront,” he said, adding that continuing education and enforcement are needed. “It continues to be a priority for us.”
Statistics from Oak Park police support ATA’s numbers. “In 2006 and 2007, there were 49 pedestrian accidents per year,” said Tanksley, who noted that 40 percent of those accidents occurred at a signalized intersection. There was one fatality each year. With 1,825 vehicular accidents in Oak Park in 2007, bike and pedestrian accidents accounted for just 3 percent. The problem, said Tanksley, is that such accidents invariably involve injury.
“That’s why it’s so serious,” he said, noting the issue isn’t just a case of disregarding the laws. “There’s a general lack of respect for cyclists and pedestrians – and for other motorists,” he said.
Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy group and North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, which works to make bicycling, walking and public transit safer and more convenient.
“When a pedestrian steps off the curb, motorists fly by, thinking that they have the right of way,” said Steve Buchtel, Southland coordinator for the Active Transportation Alliance. “It’s hard to get across the street when you walk your kids to school or want to walk to the grocery store.”
“Street design, enforcement and education all play a part in increasing the walkability of a community,” said ATA’s executive director, Rob Sadowsky.
In several keys ways, the report dovetails with efforts already being undertaken by Oak Park police. Last August, 13 Oak Park officers took up stations around the 100 block of North Oak Park Avenue during the noon hour. A plainclothes officer played the role of pedestrian, crossing the designated walk midway between Lake Street and North Boulevard. In all, 28 motorists received verbal or written warnings within an hour.
Commenting during last August’s enforcement operation, Sgt. Brace Melton referred to “the three Es: education, enforcement and engineering.” Police, he said, would just as soon not have to ticket people, preferring education and voluntary cooperation.
Tanksley said there are a lot of factors that come into play with such accidents, “such as density, the traffic pattern as well as what exactly caused a specific accident.”
ATA officials expressed concern that vehicle/pedestrian crashes are occurring despite an Illinois law requiring drivers to yield or stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. ATA contends the law’s language is too vague and often confusing. It supports proposed legislation, House Bill 43, which would clarify that language by requiring motorists to stop for all pedestrians in crosswalks, including those mid-block.
See the full report at http://www.activetrans.org/crashreduction/report.