With the goal to reduce vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, the virtual kickoff event (for launching) is planned for Friday, July 17.
There are more people venturing out as the economy reopens means more summertime pedestrians on the city’s sidewalks and streets. But that also increases the chances of pedestrians being struck by vehicles. It’s more important than ever to pay attention to pedestrian safety and so the City of Roanoke is launching a new pedestrian safety campaign: “Every Corner is a Crosswalk.” The goal is for people who drive to follow the law and stop for pedestrians at painted and unpainted crosswalks and for pedestrians to be predictable by crossing at the corner or a designated crosswalk throughout Roanoke.
“Our message is simple: In Virginia, every corner is a crosswalk, whether it’s painted or not,” said Mark Jamison, the City’s Public Works Director. “This campaign will reinforce that drivers need to stop there if pedestrians are present and pedestrians need to cross at the corners.” The campaign officially kicks off with a Facebook Live virtual event at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17, and continues through Sept. 4, ahead of Labor Day weekend.
Funded by a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) grant, it’s intended to reduce the number of crashes between vehicles and people walking, while increasing compliance with Virginia state law at crosswalks for both drivers and pedestrians. It comes as a new state law strengthens measures to combat the problem. The campaign aims to reduce the number of pedestrian-involved crashes in the city, increase drivers yielding for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks, and encourage the correct use of crosswalks by pedestrians.
“The project builds upon recent City of Roanoke efforts and investments to reduce pedestrian-related crashes, including evaluation, engineering, and enforcement,” said Andrea Garland, a traffic engineer for the City. “In Roanoke, pedestrians are over-represented in serious injuries and fatal crashes which means that when a pedestrian is involved in a crash, it is more likely to result in a serious or fatal injury. Through this campaign we hope to increase crosswalk compliance by both drivers and pedestrians to create a safer, more pedestrian-friendly community.”
