BRTB Endorses Regional StreetSmart Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Campaign
July 27, 2010 (Baltimore, MD) – In an effort to reduce highway carnage, human suffering and economic loss in the region, the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) endorsed the StreetSmart pedestrian and bicycle safety campaign at its meeting this morning.
In the three-year period between 2006 and 2008, there were 7,135 crashes involving bicycles and pedestrians in the Baltimore region, resulting in 157 deaths. Those figures represent 39 percent of all pedestrian and bicycle crashes and fatalities that occurred in the entire state of Maryland.
StreetSmart, adapted from a successful program in the Washington, DC, area, was introduced in the Baltimore region in the fall of 2009 by the BRTB, in conjunction with the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO). StreetSmart is a component of the Maryland Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which emphasizes the use of safety data to develop performance-based goals that address infrastructure and behavioral safety problems on public roads.
"StreetSmart reminds everyone who uses our streets and roads – drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike – that they need to know and practice the rules of the road," said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "Pedestrians should cross at corners or designated cross walks and obey traffic signals. Cyclists should remember that they’re operating vehicles and are subject to stop signs, traffic signals and one-way streets, just as drivers are. Drivers should be aware that pedestrians have the right of way at stop signs, and that, when passing a bicycle, they’re required to allow a three-foot buffer. And everyone needs to exercise common sense and common courtesy."
Since this year’s launch at the Smooth Operator kick-off on July 8, StreetSmart has targeted intersections and corridors in Baltimore City and Baltimore County where ten or more crashes involving pedestrians have occurred within a one-mile stretch. Banners and billboards were placed at these locations, and street teams blanketed the surrounding neighborhoods with safety messages.
"In transportation planning, we encourage walking and bicycling as alternatives to driving," said Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, the BRTB Chair. "We need to make every effort to ensure that our citizens will be safe, no matter what mode of travel they choose. StreetSmart can help us achieve that goal."
For more information about StreetSmart, including maps, crash data, and laws, visit www.DriveSafeBaltimore.com.
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is the federally-recognized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation in the Baltimore region. The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) staff provides technical and staff support to the BRTB. BMC is the organization of the region’s elected executives who are committed to identifying regional interests and developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs which will improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the region.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:40