Released Nov. 10, 2009

Media contacts
Margo O’Hara, Active Transportation Alliance
312.427.3325 x 224
312.282.5088 mobile
margo@activetrans.org

Nicole Gotthelf
Center for Neighborhood Technology
773-269-4029
nicoleg@cnt.org

David Goldberg, Transportation for America
202-412-7930
david.goldberg@t4america.org.

LEADERS DEMAND SAFER STREETS IN CHICAGOLAND FOLLOWING NATIONAL REPORT ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Advocates, elected officials and residents gathered today to demand safer streets and legislation that protects pedestrians in Chicagoland.

Representatives from the Active Transportation Alliance, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the 25th Ward, the 10th Police District and Rep. Luis Arroyo came together at 18th and Halsted streets in Chicago—the site of one of three recent pedestrian fatalities—to call on our leaders to act now.

“This is a time for our leaders to commit to prioritizing people and ensuring their safety when they choose to walk and bike,” said Rob Sadowsky, executive director at the Active Transportation Alliance. “It is not acceptable that we fear for our lives when we walk or bike in our neighborhoods.”

The event comes a day after Transportation for America, a national campaign for balanced transportation options, released Dangerous by Design, which outlines pedestrian crash rates in major metropolitan areas, the causes of those crashes and how they can be prevented.

Chicagoland, according the report, ranks 41st on a list of the 50 most dangerous metropolitan areas. Within Illinois, it ranks eighth among Illinois’ major metropolitan areas, with a pedestrian danger index of 39.3 and 235 pedestrian fatalities from 2007-2008.

The report found that 312 pedestrians were killed in Illinois from 2007 to 2008. That translates into other striking realities: On average, about 11.8 percent of all fatal crashes involved pedestrians in the United States. Illinois’ percentage is 13.6 percent. The report also details pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. The U.S. average is 1.53 and the Illinois’ is 1.21.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that 6,000 pedestrians are hit every year in Illinois. In Chicago, that translates to one death per week.

At 18th and Halsted streets in Chicago, advocates called on leaders to improve road design, increase funding and support legislation like the Complete Streets bill and House Bill 43 that ensure safer roads and clarify drivers’ responsibilities.

"Passing the Complete Streets bill was a victory for everyone in Illinois. But it was only one landmark on a long path. The challenge now is getting the Illinois Department of Transportation to follow that law and make every street in the state safe for walkers, bikers and drivers alike. In doing so, IDOT can provide the leadership for county and municipalities to implement Complete Streets as well," said Jacky Grimshaw, vice president for policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

House Bill 43, which would clarify state law and require drivers to stop—instead of yield—would remarkably improve pedestrian safety.

“We have the data and we have the tools,” Sadowsky said. “Now is the time to make pedestrian safety a priority on our streets.”

ABOUT THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE
The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information on the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TECHNOLOGY
Since 1978, the Center for Neighborhood Technology has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability – the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future. CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. We have tackled a wide range of issues, always with an eye toward simultaneously improving the environment, strengthening the economy, and advancing equity. We work across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. More information is available at www.cnt.org.

ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA

Transportation for America is a growing, national coalition committed to creating a new national transportation program that will take America into the 21st Century by building a modernized infrastructure and healthy communities where people can live, work and play. Find more information at www.t4america.org