People who walk to transit are among the region’s most vulnerable road users. Research shows that 22 percent of pedestrian crashes in the Atlanta region occurred within 100 feet of transit stops. Nearly half occurred within 300 feet of transit stops.
PEDS’ Safe Routes to Transit Initiative aims to save lives by prompting increased use of safe crossing devices at transit stops.
We created a Safe Routes to Transit Task Force that met monthly to discuss problems and solutions. Task force participants worked with PEDS to prepare a series of toolkits on designing safe pedestrian crossings near transit stops.
The program facilitates collaboration between transit agencies and the agencies responsible for planning and designing roads. Task force participants identified “responsibility gaps” These are often problems that fall through the gaps because no agency currently recognizes the issue as their responsibility. We also meet with transportation engineers and transit planners at dangerous bus stop locations to discuss needed changes.
We are implementing pedestrian road safety audits on Buford Highway, Ponce de Leon and other roads. We identify, photograph and map hazards. We also meet with stakeholders and prepare reports that we submit to the agency responsible for road maintenance and operations.
PEDS thanks Kaiser Permanente, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the Federal Highway Administration for the support that makes this program possible.