Shane Fox
Joined: 27 Feb 2008 02:51 pm
Posts: 4
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Posted: 26 Mar 2008 01:11 pm
Post Subject: Re: Drivers and pedestrians Read Article
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Solutions to problematic situations are not always either/or. We do not have to settle for it being such. We always have a host of options and alternatives available to us.
The medical center area is certainly one where options and opportunity meet need. A couple of writers have noted here that workers crossing the road in that area present hazards. Yep, I agree. Posting an officer dishing out lunch-time tickets would slow the problem for the nonce. However, the problem could be solved by a partnership between the city and employers in construction of pedestrian overpasses at key points. Other options could involve jitneys or shuttles. Or, a combination of those things!
Parking and traffic issues already present some very significant problems for older people at that facility. Not all those people trying to make their way through the traffic tie-ups on foot are younger workers. Quite a few are older patients and older persons making hospital visits.
The failure is that the taxpayers of Smith County and Tyler have not insisted on bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways, pedestrian overpasses and underpasses, and pedestrian enabled push-button controls at walkway intersections.
It is this failure, which is contributory to pedestrian/motor vehicle accidents, along with the overly aggressive drivers and lack of public awareness. When one sees a police car nosing into a downtown crosswalk as pedestrians are in that crosswalk in accordance with the walk sign, one knows that public education is lacking, and, that there is a cultural acceptance of vehicles having precedence over vulnerable pedestrians. I will remind everyone, that many of those pedestrians are older citizens who require more time to cross than do younger people. A car bumper at their heels does not assist them in overcoming this.
And, I would like to remind all that pedestrians pay taxes and are citizens and deserve the full benefit of those things as much as do motorists. And, certainly, at some point virtually all of us interchange those roles.
No one, that I'm aware of, advocates jay-walking or dashing through traffic on foot or any other violation of the law. But, I am advocating an awareness campaign of respect for foot and bicycle traffic, and for the police to take a lead in changing the culture rather than participating in it. And, under the category of you get what you ask for, citizens to take a greater interest in the problem and demand (yes, thats permitted--we get to demand things of our elected officials) that the city, county and other vested interests work together in finding creative solutions.
If we can generate the money for those absurd barricades dividing 323, we can find the money for bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways, proper pedestrian controls at intersections, pedestrian underpasses or overpasses, and; better efforts to coordinate lights to facilitate North/South, East/West traffic flow, rather than impeding it by insisting that traffic stops at every light as it flows through town---which, I suspect, adds to the frustration of driving in Tyler and contributes to impatient drivers who are part of the endangerment to pedestrians.
Shane Fox
Vice President/Community Organizations
Texas Alliance for Retired Americans.
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