'See! Be Seen!' Campaign to Focus on Improving Awareness, Changing Behaviors

September 23, 2013

NYSDOT LEADS EFFORT TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ALONG CENTRAL AVENUE AND STATE STREET IN CAPITAL REGION
‘See! Be Seen!’ Campaign to Focus on Improving Awareness, Changing Behaviors

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) announced a partnership with several state and local agencies to improve pedestrian safety along the 14-mile Central Avenue-State Street (Route 5) corridor between the City of Albany, Albany County, and the City of Schenectady, Schenectady County.

“Pedestrian safety is everyone’s responsibility,” NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald said. “At some point each day, we are all pedestrians. The Department of Transportation is excited to join with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Department of Health and our many other partners in making the Central Avenue and State Street corridor safer for pedestrians and motorists alike.”

Barbara J. Fiala, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, said, “Pedestrians are the most vulnerable people on our roadways because when they are involved in crashes with motor vehicles, they are more likely to be killed or suffer serious injuries than vehicle occupants. Each year, pedestrians represent about a quarter of the fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes. DMV and GTSC are very pleased to help support the partnership’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety along the Central Avenue-State Street corridor.”

Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., State Health Commissioner, said, “Communities where people can easily and safely walk provide more opportunities for physical activity, reduced pedestrian injuries, traffic congestion and pollution. Educating both motorists and pedestrians to share the road and respect each other is critical for everyone's safety.”

Albany City Mayor Jerry Jennings said, “Central Avenue is the major thoroughfare between the cities of Albany and Schenectady, resulting in significant vehicular traffic coupled with pedestrian use. It is incumbent that we become more vigilant in our traffic safety enforcement to ensure that our citizens are not compromised if they use Central Avenue as a walking venue. I am confident that cooperative measures, involving NYSDOT and local law enforcement agencies, will ultimately result in greater safety for all.”

Schenectady City Mayor Gary R. McCarthy said, “Given the ongoing development of the City of Schenectady, specifically around the Route 5 corridor, the City is proud to partner with the New York State Department of Transportation, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, and our many other partners and communities in an effort to improve pedestrian safety and awareness. A major component of this program will be increased levels of enforcement by the Schenectady Police Department along Route 5 regarding illegal street crossings by pedestrians. This focused enforcement in combination with the support of our partners will aim to improve safety along this corridor for motorists and pedestrians alike.”

Colonie Town Supervisor Paula A. Mahan said, “The Town of Colonie is proud to partner with NYSDOT on this important safety initiative. As part of the effort, the Colonie Police Department will be actively patrolling the area, both on foot and in vehicles. Our goal is to significantly increase safety along the Route 5 corridor through more active pedestrian safety education and enforcement.”

Niskayuna Town Supervisor Joe Landry said, “We are pleased to join with the NYSDOT on a pedestrian safety campaign for the State Street corridor. Enhanced law enforcement activity along this corridor coupled with a targeted educational component should improve safety for all users — pedestrians and motorists. Also, I applaud all the municipal and state agency leaders for their cooperation and support of this safety initiative.”

David Stackrow, Chairman of the Capital District Transportation Authority, said, “CDTA is proud to participate in the Pedestrian Safety campaign through bus advertising and awareness efforts that support our mission to promote safety as a priority both on our buses and in our facilities. Providing safety and security measures along with pedestrian amenities, such as curb cut-outs, LED lighting in shelters and video cameras, helps to create a safer environment for our community.”

Michael V. Franchini, Executive Director of the Capital District Transportation Committee, said, “A more pedestrian friendly Route 5 corridor and traffic law enforcement for both pedestrians and drivers will go a long way toward reducing traffic accidents along this corridor. We really appreciate the NYS Department of Transportation taking the lead on this initiative, and the good work of all the cooperating agencies. We are very happy to include the great educational materials developed by this initiative in our Capital Coexist bicycle and pedestrian campaign.”

Colonie Police Chief Steven H. Heider, President of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, said, “Our law enforcement agencies are unified in supporting this educational, awareness and enforcement partnership that is dedicated to the Central Avenue Pedestrian Safety Initiative. The collaborative efforts will enhance existing programs in making this roadway safer for everyone, especially for pedestrians, our most vulnerable highway users.”

NYSDOT is leading the safety effort with a long-term study of the Central Avenue-State Street corridor, including looking at driver and pedestrian behaviors, speed and accident data and identifying intersections with the greatest amount of driver-pedestrian interaction.

As part of this new partnership, an education and enforcement campaign also is under way with the goal of informing drivers and pedestrians about the dangers of unsafe behavior while using Central Avenue and State Street, which is also known as Route 5. The effort will focus on the critical need of pedestrians to use crosswalks and pedestrian signals, where they are most visible to motorists, and for drivers to watch for pedestrians and obey traffic signals.

Today, local police agencies, in cooperation with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, will begin a targeted enforcement campaign along the Central Avenue corridor, which is four or five lanes wide for most of its length. Police will monitor the corridor and issue tickets to drivers and pedestrians for violating vehicle and traffic laws.

Educational materials developed by the New York State Department of Health will emphasize the “See! Be Seen!” campaign for driver and pedestrian awareness. Materials will be distributed by partner agencies and organizations throughout the corridor, including on CDTA buses and via Social Media outlets.

The “See!” aspect of this campaign encourages drivers to:

  • Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections

  • Not block crosswalks when stopped at an intersection

  • Not run red lights

  • Slow down and obey speed limits

  • Always look for pedestrians, particularly when turning at a green light or making a right turn on red

  • Take extra care around schools, playgrounds and neighborhoods

     

 

The “Be Seen!” aspect of this campaign encourages pedestrians to:

  • Cross at intersections and marked crosswalks

  • Use pedestrian push-buttons where available and wait for the signal to cross

  • Use sidewalks; if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic so you see vehicles and drivers see you

  • Stay visible after dark and in bad weather by wearing light-colored or reflective clothing

  • Watch for vehicles backing out of parking spaces and exiting driveways

  • Make eye contact with drivers so they see you

  • Look left, look right, and then look left again before crossing a street

The educational campaign will also stress that drivers and pedestrians must avoid distractions and not text or use mobile devices while driving or while walking across a street.

NYSDOT has already completed a survey of traffic and pedestrian accommodations along this stretch, including a review of signs, nighttime lighting and crosswalk markings. This information will help determine what additional improvements could be made to the corridor. 

Additionally, NYSDOT has installed “latching” pedestrian buttons at eight intersections along Central Avenue, including at Route 155, Wolf Road, the Northway and Colonie Center malls and Fuller Road. When these pedestrian-activated buttons are pressed, the device lights up and emits an audible tone, alerting pedestrians that a “walk” phase is coming and that he or she should wait for the signal to cross the street. At six intersections, NYSDOT has installed Leading Pedestrian Interval signals, at which the “walk” indication is displayed before vehicle traffic receives a green light. This improves pedestrian visibility and reduces conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles. Each State-owned pedestrian signal has been checked to ensure they are working properly and repaired if necessary. 

Police agencies from the cities of Albany and Schenectady, the towns of Colonie and Niskayuna and Albany County will take part in the targeted enforcement blitz this month. The agencies will track tickets and violations in the Central Avenue/State Street corridor, and share information with other agencies, the courts and Albany and Schenectady County District Attorneys.

Much of the financial support for the education and enforcement efforts is provided by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. 

Additional partners involved in the distribution of educational materials and outreach to the public for the “See! Be Seen!” campaign include the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, Albany County, Schenectady County, Capital District Transportation Authority, Capital District Transportation Committee, Central Avenue Business Improvement District, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp., and the Federal Highway Administration.

 

 
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