WHAT A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD WE LIVE IN
Awareness, responsibility key to keeping pedestrians safe has had pretty good success addressing the pedestrian-victim problem. Since the BFF Program’s implementation, the percentage of drivers yielding to pedestrians has gotten better. In August 2013, the percentage of drivers yielding was 13%. In June 2015 it was 58%. Even so, in the latest ranking, the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan DENNY O’NEIL Area was the third-most dangerous BALDWIN PARK RESIDENTIAL place to walk in Florida. Yes, we are OWNERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT right up there in the rankings. I, like probably many of you, figured emember these numbers: 164 it was the tourists that get us to and three. More on this later. the top. Nope, according to Bike/ At its Aug. 16 meeting, the Walk Central Florida most of Baldwin Park Traffic Committee the victims are area residents. hosted a presentation on the What causes the ranking? CareBest Foot Forward Program by less driving, careless walking and Barbara Giles, community outreach careless design. I don’t know about manager of Bike/Walk Central you, but I see careless drivers all Florida. She had requested to the time (drivers texting, putting on make a presentation at Baldwin makeup, adjusting the radio, etc.). I Park. Lieutenant Richard Ruth, also have seen lots of careless walkof the Special Operations Division ers — talking on their cell phone, Traffic Enforcement Section, texting, taking a chance they probOrlando Police Department, ably shouldn’t take, etc. (Several also came to the meeting. years ago at a Traffic Committee The Traffic Committee always meeting, I mentioned that I, while has been interested in pedestrian walking my dogs, often make vehisafety in Baldwin Park, because the cles stop at the pedestrian crossneighborhood has students who ings on New Broad Street (south walk to and from school at Auduof Common Way Road) by walking bon Elementary School (the school into the pedestrian crossing while will soon attain a new name) and vehicles are approaching. David Glenridge Middle School, and many Spain, a Traffic Committee ember residents who are walkers, joggers and a lawyer, immediately handed and bicyclists. Because of that inme his business card.) Twenty-one terest, the Traffic Committee asked percent of fatalities occur within for and installed many speed tables a marked crosswalk! Yikes! at pedestrian crossings. The Traffic Careless design issues are adCommittee also asked for and dressed by the City Transportation received pedestrian-crossing mark- Department Traffic Engineering ings along Lake Baldwin Lane and Division, which has been helpful at other locations in Baldwin Park. in solving Baldwin Park issues The BFF Program has an action identified by the Traffic Committee. plan to improve street safety. The For example, the roundabout at the plan has three parts: education, intersection of Lower Park Road engineering and enforcement. and Lakemont Avenue used to Using this plan, the BFF Program be so small in circumference that
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drivers could drive through that intersection like the roundabout didn’t exist. The city redesigned the intersection and enlarged the roundabout so drivers now have to drive around the center portion. Now it is a much safer intersection for vehicles and for pedestrians crossing Lakemont Avenue. Now, let’s get personal. Within Metro Orlando, on average two walkers are struck each day, and one is killed each week. What are your chances of survival if you are one of those walkers struck by a vehicle? If the vehicle that hits you is going 20 mph (about the average speed of vehicles traveling in a Baldwin Park alley), you have a nine out of 10 chance of surviving. If the vehicle is traveling at 30 mph (the likely speed for a lot of vehicles on New Broad Street south of Common Way Road), we have a five out of 10 chance of surviving. Things get much grimmer if the vehicle is traveling at 40 mph: Pedestrians have a one in 10 chance of survival. Yikes, again! (By the way, the speed limit in Baldwin Park is 25 mph.) Florida law is that drivers must yield — slow down or stop — for pedestrians crossing the road within a crosswalk, even if traffic control signals or yield signs are not present. Let’s do our part to make Baldwin Park safer for pedestrians. Obey the law! As a pedestrian, always be aware of your surroundings and don’t take chances with approaching vehicles. OK, those numbers I asked you to remember earlier (164 and three) represent the fine in dollars and the number of points added to your record if you as a driver are caught failing to yield to a pedestrian. I’ll let you guess which number is the points added and which is the amount of the dollar fine.