Prioritizing pedestrian safety interventions and preparing a plan of action <br />Attachment C <br />Attachment B <br />BOX 3.4: Pedestrian safety plan, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA <br />In 2007, the Montgomery County City Council pre- <br />pared a pedestrian safety strategic plan to address <br />the problem of pedestrian fatalities and injuries: <br />14 pedestrian deaths and 430 collisions involving <br />pedestrians per year in the period 2003-2006 (17). <br />The objectives of the plan were to reduce pedes- <br />trian-related crashes, injuries, fatalities, and their <br />associated social and economic costs; and to <br />ensure that all areas of the county provide safe and <br />convenient travel options for pedestrians. <br />The plan focused on seven strategic areas: improv- <br />ing pedestrian safety in high incidence areas; <br />assessing and improving pedestrian network <br />and connectivity needs; increasing emphasis on <br />pedestrians and cyclists in the planning process; <br />identifying and implementing intersection modifi- <br />cations and traffic calming treatments; upgrading <br />pedestrian signals; assessing and enhancing <br />street lighting; and modifying pedestrian and driver <br />behaviour through enhanced enforcement and edu- <br />cational efforts (17). The plan included a budget, <br />showingthe amount of funding required, the source <br />and whether the funds which existed were one-time <br />or recurring funds. <br />3.4 Summary <br />The plan defined several performance indicators: <br />• Reduce pedestrian collisions in each of the tar- <br />geted high incidence areas by 20% following <br />completion of improvements. <br />• Reduce average traffic travel speeds in targeted <br />high incidence areas. <br />• Increase perception of pedestrian safety and <br />Iwalkability' in targeted high incidence areas using <br />an annual county survey of residents and visitors <br />to assess results. <br />Increase the annual sidewalk construction effort <br />to 17 kilometres of new sidewalks each year. <br />• Complete'Safe Routes to Schools' improvements <br />at 29 schools per year, completing the remainder <br />of county schools in a six-year timefirame. <br />• Review and update pedestrian signal timings at a <br />rate of 250 per year for three years. <br />> Upgrade all county-owned traffic signals to current <br />accessible pedestrian signal standards, adding <br />pedestrian countdown features, at a rate of five <br />per year. <br />• Complete improvements to 13 identified lighting <br />projects within six years. <br />The content of this module is summarized as follows: <br />• A comprehensive understanding of the local pedestrian safety situation is essential <br />to effective action. <br />• The situational assessment should cover the magnitude and nature of pedestrian <br />traffic injuries, the key risk factors, stakeholders in pedestrian safety, existing <br />programmes and the current policy environment. <br />• Development of an action plan for pedestrian safety requires collaboration across a <br />wide range of stakeholders and different levels of government. <br />• Core components of the action plan include a well-defined problem, clear <br />objectives, realistic targets, performance indicators, timeline and milestones, <br />adequate resources, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability options. <br />58 <br />Page 204 <br />