Safe Streets Open House

 

Early in the Safe Streets Open House

The Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization is in the final stages of formulating an action plan for transportation safety. "The goal of the plan," they say, "is to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities while enhancing mobility for all." While the overall plan is multifaceted, including attention to users, vehicles, and post-crash care, last week's open house at the New Bo City Market focused on design elements to reduce danger whatever your choice of transportation mode.

Posted maps displayed the areas designated, by features as well as five years of crash history, as High Risk Networks. Not surprisingly, these areas tend to be high-speed streets through commercial strips on the edge of town as well as 1st Avenue.

City and county intersections designated as High Injury Network
(Source: City of Cedar Rapids)

Risks were broken down by type of motor vehicle crash (head on collision, other angle collision, fixed object), with separate maps for motorcycles and "vulnerable road users" (pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users, and the like). I was surprised to see one of the highest risk stretches for VRUs was 6th Avenue in Marion between 7th and 22nd Streets.

High Risk Network: VRU crash type
(author photograph from MPO poster)

This is a recently designed street, intended to draw through traffic off 7th Avenue so that it can serve as the main street of Uptown Marion. Still, 6th Avenue also goes through Marion, and is how you get to the Marion Public Library, City Hall, and the West End Diner; it's the southern border of City Square Park, and the Grant Wood Trail runs alongside it. This seems a matter for urgent attention!

Besides the maps, the posters displayed a number of options for treatments to improve safety.

The complete list of 15 proposed treatments is on the project webpage, cited below. I wish they had included the approximate construction costs of each treatment, so we could see the comparative price of each unit of harm reduction. I imagine that what's appropriate or effective will vary by context. For example, a traffic signal with a leading pedestrian interval seems to work in crowded downtown areas, but maybe not in higher speed zones where drivers are looking to make a right turn on red and aren't expecting a pedestrian or a cyclist. I'm thinking of where Blairs Ferry Road NE crosses C Street, and happily this morning, the driver saw me crossing in time.

The online comment period lasts til October 2. The next steps, I imagine, are the preparation of the final plan and funding (if available) for specific projects.

High-risk stretches in the core of our city

City of Cedar Rapids Safe Streets for All page