Careful • Signs,
such as the ones above, encourage
pedestrian to safely cross Seventh
Street in downtown
Long Beach. Jamie Rowe / Online Forty-Niner
Signs
to reduce pedestrian injuries
By Cathie Chen
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) funded $1.5 million to the city
of Long Beach Oct. 1 in an effort to decrease the high rate of traffic
accidents within the city. Long Beach has recently been ranked 4th highest
in pedestrian-related accidents among 13 cities with similar populations.
The data is merged from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System,
Fatal Accident Record System, and the Federal Highway Administration, said
Dennis Hall, an OTS Regional Coordinator.
“
[Funding] has been very successful. That’s why we continue funding
for cities,” says Hall, who decides the distribution of grants based
on the statistics of traffic records systems.
Last month, four grants totaling about $1.5 million were given to Long Beach
to assist the city in its pursuit of safer streets for pedestrians. The grants
were provided by the OTS to reduce accidents linked to pedestrian injuries
and fatalities as well as drugs, alcohol and speeding through educational outreach
and other methods.
David Roseman, Long Beach City Traffic Engineer and CSULB graduate, said his
office received two grants from the OTS last year, a combined total of over
a quarter million dollars in funding. The first grant works with the Long Beach
Police Department in supporting over-time duty for police officers and enforcing
traffic safety laws such as jaywalking.
It has been ongoing for six months and will continue its two-year course. The
second grant is directed at the upgrading of the community signs and safety
devices.
“
We have between 6,500 to 7,000 vehicle accidents every year,” Roseman
said. “Three hundred twenty-five to 375 are pedestrian-related. The
city has been aggressively attacking the problem for the past three years.”
The grant funding has allowed Long Beach to supply its streets with the necessary
tools to promote public awareness.
Last month, about 300 pedestrian countdown signals with built-in timers indicating
seconds remaining for crossing were installed throughout the city, especially
at sites where more than one pedestrian-related accident has occurred in the
last five years. In addition, “Cross Safely” banners can be spotted
on poles lining streets.
These indicators can be found in areas surrounding Seventh Street and Broadway,
as well as near schools such as Long Beach Community College, Wilson High School,
Cabrillo High School, Polytechnic High School, and Millikan High School. The
city also continues to place “stop” signs and repaint crosswalks,
concentrating on school zones and key crossing guard locations. The city now
displays crosswalks with flashing beacons and “pedestrian crossing” signs
have made a switch from yellow to a more noticeable fluorescent green.
Long Beach has also been ranked highest in accidents involving pedestrians
less than 15 years of age.
“
Fifty percent of all pedestrian accidents are with people 19 or younger,” Roseman”said. “Over
half of our pedestrian accidents are with our kids. About 75 percent of the
accidents are the pedestrian’s fault.”
Pedestrians often encounter danger by running in the streets or between cars,
not crossing at designated crosswalks, or chasing toys or pets.
“
The street is not for kids and pets. It’s for vehicles… It comes
down to you as a pedestrian. The street is a dangerous place and people are
paying with their lives.””
To instill the importance of caution near streets and crosswalks, Long Beach’s
City Traffic Division and Police Department have united to present a pedestrian
safety program to schools, most recently Burbank Elementary School.
This year, they will be educating Barton Elementary.
According to the history of traffic accidents in Long Beach, there has been
an increase in the number of traffic accident injuries. In 2002, there were
2,613 traffic injuries and 19 fatalities. In 2003, 2,691 injuries and 17 fatalities,
and in 2004, 2,799 injuries and 23 fatalities. The actual number of accidents
has declined about 10 percent, but the number of injuries and fatalities is
going up.
“
There are less accidents, but they are more severe.” Roseman said. “Your
best defense is to be aware.”
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