Texas Pedestrian Safety Coalition

Texas Pedestrian Safety Coalition

2026 Texas Pedestrian Safety Forum

Register here!

The forum will be held on Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, at the AT&T Center in Austin (1900 University Avenue). Please note that this year, attendance will be capped at 200 people. Due to the attendance limit, we will send an email asking you to confirm your registration in April. If you do not confirm, your spot will be released. There will be no on-site registration this year.

9:00 – 9:45: Introduction and Opening Keynote

Speakers:

  • Ben Ettelman, Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)
  • David Palmer, Director, Behavioral Traffic Safety, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
  • Kathy Sokalik, Families for Safe Streets Central Texas

9:45 – 10:00: Break

10:00 – 11:00: Concurrent Sessions

The Human Factor at Crosswalks: Why Behavior Matters as Much as the Device

This session explores how pedestrian and driver behaviors—particularly device actuation and driver yielding—interact to influence safety outcomes at crossings with pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). Drawing on both large-scale crash analyses and detailed observational and survey data, the research highlights how factors such as geometry, traffic conditions, and waiting times shape real-world use of these devices. Findings point to actionable strategies, including improving actuation rates and optimizing design features like pedestrian refuges, to maximize the safety effectiveness of pedestrian traffic control devices.

Speakers:

  • Raul Avelar, Senior Research Engineer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
  • Boniphace Kutela, Associate Research Engineer, TTI

Working Together for Safer Streets: Law Enforcement and Pedestrian Safety

Law enforcement plays a critical role in improving pedestrian safety, from targeted enforcement to community engagement. However, law enforcement professionals face challenges in resources, priorities, and public perception. This session will explore both the opportunities and constraints shaping enforcement efforts today, highlighting real-world experiences and strategies that work. The session will feature a panel discussion on how law enforcement can more effectively partner with transportation agencies and professionals to advance safer streets.

Speaker:

  • Katie Alexander, Law Enforcement Liaison, Texas Municipal Police Association

Using Walking Audits to Identify Safety Needs and Spark Action

Walking audits are a practical, hands-on tool for identifying pedestrian safety issues and understanding how streets and public spaces function in the real world. This session will provide an overview of walking audits, highlight successful use cases, and share tools and approaches that can help agencies and communities put them into practice effectively. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how walking audits can inform planning, design, and safety improvements.

Speakers:

  • Dexter Handy, Chair, Citizens’ Transportation Coalition, Greater Houston Coalition for Complete Streets
  • Matthew Moreno, Regional Transportation Planner, Alamo Area MPO

Break: 11:00 – 11:15

Concurrent Sessions: 11:15 – 12:15

Safe Routes in Action: Austin’s Comprehensive Approach to School Safety

Creating safer, healthier, and more equitable environments is key to increasing walking and biking to school. This session highlights how the City of Austin’s nationally recognized Safe Routes to School Program integrates crossing guards, education, engagement, and infrastructure to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in partnership with planning and engineering efforts by Toole Design Group. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing a comprehensive, community-focused approach that supports safer routes for students.

Speakers:

  • Ben Magallon, Senior Planner, Toole Design
  • Rhonda Bolick, Education and Engagement Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School
  • Leticia Richardson, Crossing Guard Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School
  • Moderated by Coleen Gentles, Infrastructure Project Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School

Better Together: How Planners and Engineers Can Advance Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is strongest when planners and engineers work together rather than in silos, bringing complementary perspectives on design, context, function, and community needs. This session will explore how each discipline can better inform the other, why collaboration matters, and how stronger partnerships can lead to safer, more effective outcomes. Following a brief presentation, participants will engage in an interactive discussion using real-world street and public space examples to identify opportunities, constraints, blind spots, and the different responses each perspective brings to the table.

Speakers:

  • Carly Haithcock, Associate Principal Engineer, Nelson/Nygaard
  • Michael Keil, Program Manager, City of Austin
  • Nicholas Samuel, Senior Regional Planner, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

Enhancing Pedestrian Safety and Walkability Through Neighborhood Partnerships

Creating safer, more walkable neighborhoods starts with listening to the people who know them best. This session will highlight how AAMPO works closely with neighborhood associations to identify barriers to walking and bicycling, convene partner agencies, and turn community input into practical infrastructure recommendations. Attendees will learn how walking audits, workshops, and interactive GIS tools can strengthen neighborhood engagement, support coordination with local partners, and build a foundation for future safety improvements and funding opportunities.

Speakers:

  • Soloman Mendoza, Multimodal Transportation Planner, Alamo Area MPO
  • Wendy Dodson, GIS Analyst, Alamo Area MPO

Lunch: 12:15 – 1:15

Keynote Address: 1:15 – 2:15

Angie Schmitt is a Cleveland-based writer and urban planner. The author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America (2020 by Island Press) she is a national speaker and expert on the subject of traffic safety. Angie is the founder of 3MPH Planning and Consulting, which works with clients across the country. Her writing has appeared in Slate, Vox, The New York Times, CNN Business and other publications. She is a mother of two. Her second book, Playing in the Street: How to Get Kids off Screens and Into the Real World, will be published in 2028 by North Point Press.

Speakers:

  • Angie Schmitt, Principal, 3MPH Planning
  • Moderated by Jay Crossley, Executive Director, Farm&City

Break: 2:15 – 2:30

Concurrent Sessions: 2:30 – 3:30

Automated Vehicles and the Future of Pedestrian Safety

As the proliferation of automated vehicles on the streets of Texas continues, understanding their impact on pedestrian safety is more important than ever. This session will provide an overview of how AV technology is impacting pedestrian safety, with an overview of up-to-date research and data from deployments in Texas cities. Attendees will gain insight into early safety outcomes and what these findings mean for future policy and practice.

Speakers:

  • Amanda Ventura, Public Affairs Manager, Waymo
  • Jay Crossley, Executive Director, Farm&City

From Prioritization to Implementation: Advancing Pedestrian Safety Through Road Safety Assessments

Many Texas communities have identified High Injury Networks through Safety Action Plans, but the real challenge is moving from system-level analysis to corridor-specific projects that can advance into implementation. This session will highlight Fort Worth’s two-stage approach to pedestrian safety, beginning with a data-driven corridor prioritization framework and progressing to detailed Road Safety Assessments that apply FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures to real-world conditions. Attendees will gain insight into how technical analysis, benefit-cost evaluation, and interdepartmental coordination can help translate safety findings into capital programming and funding decisions.

Speakers:

  • Nan Jiang, Data Science Practice Lead, Toole Design
  • Chelsea St. Louis, Senior Capital Projects Officer, City of Fort Worth

Linking Public Health, Emergency Medical Services, and Crash Data to Enhance Pedestrian Safety

Professionals from the Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS), emergency medical services, and transportation agencies will discuss current efforts to link data from Texas’ trauma registry, EMS patient care data, and data from Texas crash records to better understand how factors like vehicle type, roadway conditions, and user characteristics influence injury severity and outcomes for pedestrians.

Speakers:

  • Jia Benno, Injury Prevention Director, Texas Department of State Health Services
  • Courtney Edwards, Director of Trauma Community Outreach and BioTel EMS, Parkland Health
  • Eva Shipp, Senior Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  • Emily Martin, Associate Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Instutute

Break: 3:30 – 3:45

Concurrent Sessions: 3:45 – 4:45

Planning at Scale: Regional Coordination and Data-Driven Strategies for Pedestrian Safety

Improving pedestrian safety on major corridors and across Texas’ metropolitan regions requires more than isolated project reviews—it demands large-scale planning, strong interagency coordination, and data-driven decision-making. This session will explore how transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies are using tools such as crash analysis, simulation, operational modeling, and scenario testing to better understand pedestrian risk, prioritize investments, and plan for safer multimodal access during both project development and implementation. Attendees will gain practical insight into how collaborative, cross-agency approaches can strengthen regional safety initiatives, improve communication among partners, and support more proactive strategies for protecting vulnerable road users.

Speakers:

  • Alberto Ponce, Senior Transit Planner, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
  • Rachael Die Montenegro, Senior Planning Program Manager, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
  • Taylor Hunter, Regional Data Planner, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)

Collaborating for Impact: Advancing Youth Pedestrian Safety in Texas

Cross-sector collaboration is key to creating safer, more effective transportation systems. This session highlights how partners in Texas are leveraging shared expertise and lived experience to enhance youth pedestrian safety and improve the built environment. A brief presentation will precede a moderated discussion on lessons learned and strategies for sustaining and scaling these efforts

Speakers:

  • Gaby Kolodzy, Assistant Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  • Nancy De La Fuente, Safe Routes/Active Transportation Coordinator, Harris County Public Health
  • Chris Whaley, Senior Planner for Regional Multimodal Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council

Managing the Impact of E-Bikes, E-Scooters on Pedestrian Safety on University Campuses

University transportation networks have long been designed around two speeds—fast-moving vehicles and slower-moving pedestrians—often leaving bicycles and other medium-speed modes without appropriate space. As e-bikes and e-scooters become more common on campuses, this gap has created growing conflicts with pedestrians and underscored the need for safer, more multimodal infrastructure. Drawing on findings from recent campus mobility planning initiatives, this panel will explore the planning, design, and policy strategies universities can use to better accommodate medium-speed travel while improving pedestrian safety.

Speakers:

  • Jackson Archer, AICP, Principal Transportation Planner, Nelson\Nygaard
  • Sarah Hyden, Senior Associate Transportation Planner, Nelson\Nygaard 
  • Veronica Castro de Berrera, Lead Campus & Mobility Planner, The University of Texas at Austin
  • Moderated by Tracy McMillan, PhD, MPH, Principal & Co-lead, Cities & Streets sector, Nelson\Nygaard