[tabi] Re: letter to the Democrat re pedestrian safety

  • From: "Easy Talk" <easytalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 06:02:16 -0400

Why would we even think of ticketing pedestrians when we can't get law 
enforcement to enforce the white cane law.  The city could make much more money 
by ticketing vehicles that block cross walks.

Robert

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chip Orange 
  To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 2:09 PM
  Subject: [tabi] letter to the Democrat re pedestrian safety


  Hi all,

  Below is a letter to the editor in today's Democrat.  I wish we had known of 
some of this information at the time Nova 2010 was being evaluated, but I 
certainly hope StarMetro takes note of it, to design away the portion of Nova 
2010 which has passengers changing buses via crossing through intersections.


  ----------


  Penalize drivers at crosswalks

  I love Tallahassee. I love how the mayor wants to get people out walking, 
bicycling
  and exercising. But I don't agree with ticketing pedestrians for not using 
the crosswalks.
  I have four reasons:
  1. About 10 years ago, undercover police studied one big intersection. They 
basically
  concluded it was "too dangerous" to walk.
  2. About five years ago, we had a town hall meeting with the sheriff and 
deputies.
  They basically concluded it was "hopeless" to get drivers to slow down.
  3. Last year, the red light camera study basically concluded red light 
runners were
  "out of control."
  4. Today, I stopped at my intersection. I then pushed the walk button. The 
walk light
  came on. Knowing crosswalks are dangerous, I kept a space between me and the 
right-on-red
  driver as I started across. Without looking, the right-turn driver took off, 
missing
  me by inches as I swerved to her side. I continued across, but immediately 
the left-turn
  driver almost hit me from my other side. He yelled at me for being in "his" 
crosswalk.
  I survived this time, but until our crosswalks are truly safe, I have 
concluded that
  it would be wrong to punish our few endangered pedestrians for not using them.

  JOSEPH BARNETT

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