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Vision Long Island’s 2013 Smart Growth Awards are just one week away. The ceremony takes place on Friday, June 14 at 11:30 a.m. at The Huntington Hilton in Melville, New York. This year’s honorees include: United States Representative Peter King Superstorm Sandy Cleanup and Rebuilding Volunteers LaunchPad Mineola Smithtown Main Street Bolt Bus [...]  Connecticut Pedestrian Fatalities 2009-2011 within ¼ mile of a CT Transit Bus Stop. Orange dots represent 2009-2011 pedestrian fatalities on roads where pedestrians allowed within ¼ mile from a CT Transit stop. CT Transit bus stop file from CT Transit; map created in ArcMap with a Streets basemap. Pedestrian fatality data from NHTSA’s FARS database. Note: In May 2012, TSTC published an analysis that examined pedestrian fatalities from 2008 through 2010 in Nassau County and Connecticut in relation to their proximity to Long Island Bus (now Nassau Inter-County Express) stops or CT Transit bus stops. This MTR post features a refined methodology, as well as information on 2011 pedestrian fatalities, the most up-to-date information available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database.  Nassau County Pedestrian Fatalities 2009-2011 within ¼ mile of a Long Island Bus Stop. Yellow dots represent 2009-2011 pedestrian fatalities on roads where pedestrians allowed within ¼ mile of a Long Island Bus stop. Long Island Bus stop file from Steven Romalewski of Spatiality; map created in ArcMap with a Streets basemap. Pedestrian fatality data from NHTSA’s FARS database. Getting to and from the bus stop shouldn’t be a dangerous activity, but for pedestrians in Connecticut and Nassau County, Long Island, it might be. In an examination of pedestrians killed by vehicles in Connecticut and Nassau County, TSTC found that large percentages – from 43 percent to almost 89 percent – of pedestrians killed by vehicles on roads where pedestrians are allowed were struck within 1/4 mile of a bus stop. TSTC’s analysis of Connecticut pedestrian fatalities on roads where pedestrians are allowed shows that from 2009 through 2011, 43.2 percent of pedestrians killed by vehicles were killed within 1/4 mile of a CT Transit bus stop. Between 2008 and 2010, 54.1 percent of pedestrians killed by vehicles were killed within 1/4 mile of a CT Transit bus stop. The analysis looks at six of CT Transit’s eight regional divisions: Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, New Britain, Waterbury and Meriden. (CT Transit was unable to provide bus stop information for its Bristol or Wallingford divisions.) Including CT Transit bus stops for Bristol and Wallingford, as well as information on bus stops in districts served by other transit agencies (such as Housatonic Area Regional Transit or Greater Bridgeport Transit), would likely increase the percentage of pedestrian fatalities located near transit. Looking at pedestrian fatalities that occurred within 1/4 mile of a Long Island Bus route[1] in Nassau County shows even more stark results: 88.5 percent of pedestrians killed by vehicles on roads where pedestrians are allowed were within 1/4 mile of a Long Island Bus stop from 2009 through 2011; 63.9 percent between 2008 and 2010. It’s unclear whether most or any of these fatalities were transit riders, but every transit trip begins with a walking trip, and streets around bus stops or railroad stations tend to have more pedestrian activity – people waiting for a buses or headed to or from a transit facility – than streets without transit. State and municipal departments of transportation must ensure that streets around transit facilities are safe and accessible for pedestrians. In its efforts to make Hempstead Turnpike safer for pedestrians, the New York State Department of Transportation and NICE have partnered to relocate certain bus stops along the corridor. This partnership can’t end here however, and NYSDOT should continue to work with NICE and Nassau County (and Suffolk County) to develop an Island-wide Safe Routes to Transit program, which would focus on pedestrian safety needs near transit. This partnership should go beyond bus stop relocations and identify additional traffic calming infrastructure that could enhance the safety of anyone who travels in the area—transit users, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. Connecticut can also do more to promote pedestrian safety at and around transit locations with a program similar to New Jersey DOT’s Safe Streets to Transit program, which targets grants to municipalities to make access to transit safer for pedestrians. The recent economic recession has slowed and in fact reversed the growth in the nation’s total vehicle miles traveled (VMT). It’s common for this to happen temporarily during a recession as job losses mount or people travel less to save money, but there is compelling evidence that the slowdown this time might be more [...] Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a key component of Suffolk County’s “Connect Long Island” plan. | Photo: trans4m.org The Suffolk County Legislature adopted a resolution last Tuesday by a vote of 16 to 2 that will provide the county over $320,000 in New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) funding to study potential Bus Rapid Transit [...] Suffolk County will see more buses on Sundays in the near future. A week after the Public Works and Transportation Committee issued a ringing endorsement, the Suffolk County Legislature adopted an amended resolution that directs $1.1 million in unanticipated State Transportation Operating Assistance-included in the 2013-2014 New York State budget-towards expanding Sunday bus [...]  A raised landscaped median along Route 347. It has been roughly two years since the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) broke ground on Long Island’s Route 347 “Greenway,“ a project that was transformed after years of advocacy into a multi-modal corridor. The modified plan better accommodates Suffolk County Transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists, while also promising a more seamless integration of surrounding land uses. Since the first shovels went into the ground, much progress has been made. One mile — from the 347/454 fork to Route 111 — of the 15 mile corridor project has been completed, and the second mile of the project, from Route 111 to Mount Pleasant Road, is currently out to bid. During a visit to Long Island for other advocacy, MTR visited and took pictures of the first completed mile of the award-winning project showing a raised, landscaped median, pedestrian islands, a multi-use path, and better amenities for transit users. Signage touting the “Parks to Ports Greenway” (which double as bike racks) are also visible at the one mile completion point. The editorial board of Newsday joined a tri-partisan group of Democratic, Republican and Independent legislators as well as a diverse set of business, civic, academic, labor and planning groups in calling on Suffolk County to use $2 million in additional state transit funding for expanded Sunday bus service. Diverting this funding to plug the County’s General Fund deficit would be “a drop [...] L to R: Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island; Ryan Lynch, Tri-State Transportation Campaign; Suffolk County Legislators Jay Schneiderman, Al Krupski and Tom Muratore | Photo: Tauwan Weber A coalition of rider, business, labor, planning, civic and transportation advocates and elected officials rallied in Hauppage today in support of a resolution filed last week by Legislator [...] The Long Island Complete Streets Summit is tomorrow. Register today. | Image: Vision Long Island The Long Island Complete Streets Summit is tomorrow, Thursday April 11. This is your last chance to register. The summit begins at 8 a.m.and will be held at the Sustainability Institute of Molloy College at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale. Light [...] Buses could be running on Sundays again in Suffolk County. | Photo: Randee Daddona/Newsday In an attempt to capitalize on additional State Transit Operating Assistance (STOA) included in the recently adopted New York State budget, Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman filed a resolution last week that, if adopted, dedicates the $2.01 million windfall to Suffolk County Transit (SCT) to expand [...] |
 
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