The 2019 Texas Pedestrian Safety Forum was held on August 22, 2019. The forum’s agenda, session descriptions, and presentations can be found below.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPLICATIONS
Transportation equity is a complex topic and has significant impacts on pedestrian safety. Presenters at this session will discuss how transportation equity impacts pedestrians and their ability to safely navigate the transportation system.
- A Brief History of Transportation Equity: Alex Karner, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
- Initiative to Address Homelessness Along I-35: Mike Arellano, Director of Operations, Texas Department of Transportation
- Austin-Travis County EMS:Community Health Paramedic/HOST: Amber Price, Community Health Outreach Program, City of Austin
BALANCING TRADEOFFS WHEN IMPLEMENTING SAFE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES
Safe pedestrian facilities are one of the most important aspects of improving pedestrian safety in our transportation system. Often, implementing improved pedestrian facilities requires transportation agencies to make tradeoffs. This session will present a range of perspectives on the important considerations that must be made when considering these tradeoffs, including communication with the public, design considerations, and negotiating outcomes.
- Pedestrian Signalization in Austin: Jared Wall, Traffic Engineer, City of Austin
- Trade-offs in Developing Pedestrian Facilities: Bonnie Sherman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager, Texas Department of Transportation
- TxDOT’s Roadway Design Manual Update: Camille Thomason, Design Division Director, Texas Department of Transportation
CONTEXT SENSITIVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY COUNTERMEASURES AND DESIGN
There are various approaches to street design as well as countermeasures that improve pedestrian safety—but what are the right approaches for your community? Presenters at this session will discuss context-sensitive solutions to pedestrian safety design and countermeasures from a range of community sizes and types.
- FHWA Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures: Brooke Struve, Design Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration
- Places for People to Walk: Heyden Black-Walker, Urban Planner, Black + Vernooy
- Mobility 35 Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures: Brad Kwaterski, Civil Engineer, AECOM/Mobility35
TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN TEXAS
Transportation policy has a significant impact on pedestrian safety in the state of Texas. This session will feature safety advocates and policy professionals who can speak to the impacts and barriers to developing policy that improves pedestrian safety.
- Every Texan Enjoys Safe Pedestrian Access: Jay Blazek Crossley, Executive Director, Farm&City
- Advocates for Transportation Equity, Accessibility, and Safety: Jonathan Brooks, Director of Policy and Planning, LINK Houston
- Transportation Safety and the Texas Legislature: Taryn Feigen, Legislative Director, Texas House Representative Celia Israel
PLANNING FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Pedestrian safety plans are crucial components for improving pedestrian safety in Texas communities. Cities, regional planning organizations, and the Texas Department of Transportation are actively engaged in developing plans and plan components that will enhance the safety of pedestrians in our transportation systems. This session will explore what Texas transportation agencies have learned during these processes and what pedestrian safety work is on the horizon.
- City of Fort Worth Pedestrian Safety Planning: Julia Ryan, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Fort Worth
- Pedestrian Safety in North Texas: Karla Weaver, Senior Program Manager, North Texas Council of Governments
- Pedestrian Safety Strategies: Pete Kraus, Director of Landscape and Design Division, Texas Department of Transportation
HOW CITIES AND AGENCIES ARE USING DATA TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Cities and agencies across the state are utilizing data in innovative ways to
improve pedestrian safety. This session will highlight case studies of how this
data is being used to improve decision making regarding pedestrian safety.
- Using Data to Map Need: Clint McManus, Senior Pedestrian and Bicycle Planner, Houston Galveston Area Council
- Improving Safety & Multi-Modal Last Mile Connections to Transit: Josh Smith, Project Manager, Lee Engineering
- Understanding Dallas District Pedestrian Safety Issues (Part 2) & Applying Machine Learning to Crash Typing Process: Minh Le, Associate Research Engineer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
IMPLICATIONS OF ZERO-DEATH INITIATIVES ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Four cities within the state of Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Laredo), as well as the Texas Department of Transportation, have adopted zero-death initiatives to guide transportation safety into the future. This session will provide an overview of how zero-death initiatives intend to shift the culture around transportation safety, and presenters will discuss how they impact pedestrian safety.
- Implications of Zero-death Initiatives on Pedestrian Safety: Greg Reininger, Principal Transportation Planner, City of San Antonio
- Texas Department of Transportation Road to Zero: Michael Lee, Director of Engineering and Safety Operations, Texas Department of Transportation
PERCEPTIONS AND REALITY: BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATION GAP AROUND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
This session will focus on how the pedestrian safety community communicates about key issues related to transportation safety. Presenters will discuss communication gaps that exist in pedestrian safety and lead a structured discussion about how the pedestrian safety community can create common understanding among transportation professionals and advocates.
- “Jaywalking” and Why We Should Avoid Using This Term: Joel Meyer, Transportation Planner, City of Austin
- Communicating When Talking Transportation: Joan Hudson, Research Engineer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- Out of Control: Dug Begley, Reporter, Houston Chronicle