ALBANY, NY (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced a series of pedestrian safety improvements along the 16-mile Hempstead Turnpike on Long Island as part of a multi-agency initiative to enhance safety for anyone who travels that busy east-west thoroughfare.

"Safety is our top priority at the State Department of Transportation," Commissioner McDonald said. "Working cooperatively with our local, state and federal partners, we examined and analyzed the entire Hempstead Turnpike corridor this spring, developed a plan for enhancing pedestrian safety along it and made pedestrian safety improvements at dozens of locations. As work continues, we're planning additional safety initiatives for the future."

Joining the commissioner at today's event was Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and State Senator Jack Martins.

Commissioner McDonald on Feb. 15 called for pedestrian safety enhancements along Hempstead Turnpike, directing the first-ever comprehensive engineering safety analysis of the 16-mile corridor. The commissioner called for both short-term and long-term solutions to be developed, established a multi-jurisdictional team of experts to work with NYSDOT to develop and implement improvements, and directed that the initiatives include engineering measures, enforcement of existing traffic laws and public education about how all highway users can safely share the road.

As a result, a team from NYSDOT, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the State Department of Health, the Federal Highway Administration, the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council has recommended a series of short term pedestrian safety improvements, many of which have been implemented or will be completed this spring. The team will present additional, longer-term recommendations to the commissioner later this month.

Since mid-March, NYSDOT has made a variety of pedestrian safety improvements on Hempstead Turnpike, including remarking 235 crosswalks (126 of them have been widened), increasing pedestrian crossing times at 86 traffic signals, reprogramming dozens of crosswalks and adding new features to the crossing buttons.

At the same time, the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board initiated a public education campaign focused on pedestrian safety, distributing fliers and posters reminding motorists to watch for pedestrians and for pedestrians to use pedestrian signals and crosswalks to safely cross roadways. County representatives also are speaking to local community groups to highlight the issues.

In addition, the Nassau County Police Department has stepped up enforcement along Hempstead Turnpike, increasing patrols and deploying "Your Speed is" electronic signs to remind motorists of their speeds. The Village of Hempstead Police also has beefed up its enforcement effort.

"Our safety improvements will assist pedestrians in crossing the street and make it even clearer to motorists that pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks," Commissioner McDonald said. "I appreciate the hard work our partner agencies are contributing to this important effort to create a safer corridor for pedestrians through enhanced engineering measures, public education and law enforcement. Engineering treatments are critically important to any effort to enhance pedestrian safety. That being said, education and enforcement are also a crucial component to keeping our roadways safer."

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said, "The safety of every person in Nassau County is an important focus of my administration. This multi-platform program of education, engineering and enforcement for Hempstead Turnpike will ultimately improve pedestrian safety as it is replicated on other county roads. In addition, I have charged our office of traffic safety to develop a "Walk Safely" campaign that urges pedestrians to cross in the crosswalk and activate walk signals. I have also asked Nassau County PD to diligently enforce the law regarding speeding and drivers who fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians. Nassau will be known as one of the safest places for pedestrians in the nation."

NYSDOT's engineering analysis of Hempstead Turnpike examined crash data, traffic signal functioning, pedestrian markings, lighting conditions, vehicle speeds, bus stops and pedestrian behavior from the border of Queens and Nassau counties in the Town of Hempstead to the Nassau/Suffolk County border in the Town of Oyster Bay.

NYSDOT reviewed every motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2011. There were 326 pedestrian crashes identified, including 20 fatalities (2 people were killed in one crash).

Location	Total	Fatalities
Hempstead Tpke (NYSDOT maintained)	230	17
Hempstead Tpke (NCDPW / VILLAGE maintained)	57	2
Miscoded to Hempstead Tpke ( crash occurred in Parking Lot or on local street)	39	1
	326	20

On NYSDOT maintained sections of Hempstead Turnpike, there were 230 pedestrian crashes, including 17 fatalities analyzed. The study found:

• Motorists failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians was cited as a contributing factor 47 percent of the time and driver distraction was listed as a contributing factor in 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities;
• Most of the pedestrian fatalities involved males (76 percent);
• Pedestrian error was noted as a contributing factor in 67 percent of all pedestrian crashes;
• Most crashes occurred when pedestrians were crossing midblock (59 percent) or crossing against a traffic signal (35 percent);
• 82 percent or 14 of the 17 fatalities occurred at night;
• In 8 of the 17 fatalities, the pedestrian was legally impaired by alcohol or drugs;
• 36 percent of all crashes involved a pedestrian more than 50 years old;
• Vehicle speeds in off-peak travel hours also may be a factor; Speeds tend to be higher when there is less traffic.

Those findings are being used as a basis for the pedestrian safety improvements being implemented and planned along Hempstead Turnpike.

NYSDOT spent $7 million on pedestrian safety improvements along the Hempstead Turnpike in the last five years. As part of that, pedestrian countdown timers were added to all 91 signalized intersections. The timers signal how much time pedestrians have to cross the street, eliminating guesswork and helping to clear intersections before traffic resumes.

Recognizing that pedestrian safety can be enhanced by a three-pronged initiative of engineering the roadway, educating motorists and pedestrians about the benefits of greater awareness and stepped up enforcement of vehicle and traffic laws, additional pedestrian safety initiatives being implemented this spring include:

Engineering

• Pedestrian Crosswalks Remarked – All 235 crosswalks were repainted and striped to make them more visible;
• Pedestrians Crosswalks Widened – All existing high visibility crosswalks, typically 6 ft wide, were widened to eight feet throughout the corridor (10 feet at heavily used locations) to enhance awareness for drivers that this is a pedestrian environment. That included widening 94 crosswalks from six feet to eight feet and 24 crosswalks from six feet to 10 feet. On side streets, eight crosswalks were widened from six feet to eight feet;
• Pedestrian Crossing Time Increased – As every traffic signal on Hempstead Turnpike was surveyed, pedestrian crossing times were increased at 86 intersections to accommodate slower walking speeds, allowing more time for pedestrians to cross the street;
• More Leading Pedestrian Intervals Installed – This signal timing strategy gives pedestrians a head start in crossing the street before vehicles are given a green light to turn onto that street. Leading pedestrian intervals increase the visibility of pedestrians in an intersection and encourage motorists to yield the right of way. These improvements were programmed at 45 crosswalks at 28 signalized intersections. That makes the total number of locations with this feature 52 crosswalks within 31 signalized intersections;
• No Turn on Red Signs Being Installed – To work in conjunction with the leading pedestrian intervals signal timing initiative, additional no-turn-on-red signs are being installed, helping to improve visibility of pedestrians for motorists and enhancing safety. Additional locations for these signs also are being identified.
• Lit Pedestrian Crossing Buttons Scheduled Being Installed – NYSDOT is retrofitting all pedestrian crossing buttons on Hempstead Turnpike with buttons that light up and stay lit when they are pushed, confirming for pedestrians that pedestrian signal phase has been initiated and that they should wait for the "Walk" signal to help them cross the street safely. Ten of those pedestrian buttons have been installed, bringing the total to 53 intersections with that feature. The remaining installations will be completed this summer;
• Traffic Signal Survey Completed – NYSDOT surveyed every traffic signal along the Hempstead Turnpike to confirm that they are operating properly and to assess how they might be enhanced to improve pedestrian safety;
• Bus Stop Survey Conducted – NYSDOT in early March completed a survey of bus stops along Hempstead Turnpike in order to determine if they should be relocated to improve pedestrian safety by placing them closer to traffic signals;
• Night-time Survey of Hempstead Turnpike – NYSDOT surveyed night-time lighting conditions to determine whether lighting improvements are needed to enhance traffic and pedestrian safety. The survey identified 79 street lights that were not functioning. Appropriate local agencies were notified. The need for additional lighting is being considered;
• Traffic Calming Initiative Being Developed -- A fixed signal timing plan is being developed to calm traffic by controlling speeds through the corridor. Many pedestrian crashes occur at night when operating speeds are higher and pedestrians are not visible to motorists. Changing the signal timing would slow the traffic, enabling vehicles traveling at the proper speed to get green lights, while motorists traveling above the posted speed limit would have to stop at red lights.

Education

• Pedestrian Safety Information to be Distributed – The Nassau County Traffic Safety Board, with the support of GTSC, DOH, NYSDOT and others, is working to provide pedestrian safety information to community groups, businesses and local organizations along Route 24. They also are working with Veolia Bus Company (NICE) to develop a pedestrian safety campaign using buses and drivers that traverse this corridor;
• Safe Routes to School Program Promoted – NYSDOT is working with Nassau County and local school districts to share education materials that are being created for the Safe Routes to School program in the Village of Hempstead.

Enforcement

• Radar Speed Signs Deployed – The Nassau County Police Department placed electronic "Your Speed Is..." radar-actuated sign trailers along the corridor on March 7. The signs, which will be moved to various locations, remind motorists how fast they are traveling;
• Police Enforcement Stepped Up – The Nassau County Police Department and the Village of Hempstead Police Department has intensified its traffic enforcement efforts to encourage yielding to pedestrians, maintaining safe speeds, stopping at red lights and following all state Vehicle and Traffic Law requirements.

"I want to commend the Department of Transportation for recognizing the need to make changes to the Hempstead Turnpike in order for it to be a safer highway," said State DMV Commissioner and Governor's Traffic Safety Committee Chair Barbara Fiala. "When we utilize education and enforcement and combine our resources we can affect change."

State Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said, "I applaud the Department of Transportation's new pedestrian safety improvements along the Hempstead Turnpike, as this is a heavily traveled and extremely busy corridor. I admire the hard work that went into getting these initiatives in place in a timely manner. The enhanced pedestrian crosswalks, additional no-right-on-red signs, as well as alerts to motorists to drive within the speed limit, are all ways that we can ensure our citizens are safer while maintaining accessible and secure roadways for everyone who travels them."

State Senator Kemp Hannon said, "I have been working with the DOT on Hempstead Turnpike safety for some time, but recent high-profile deaths have sadly hastened the need for enhanced pedestrian safety initiatives to be implemented immediately. I commend Commissioner McDonald's initiatives to bring about these measures in short order and to work with federal, state and local agencies, as well as the Nassau County Police, to enact pedestrian safety improvements all along Hempstead Turnpike."

State Senator Jack M. Martins said, "The numbers in the New York State Department of Transportation's engineering safety analysis of Hempstead Turnpike are significant. I look forward to continue to work toward making Hempstead Turnpike safer and I want to thank the Governor, DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald and Nassau County for all coming together to make the safety of Hempstead Turnpike a priority. Due to safety improvements the DOT has done since mid-March, Hempstead Turnpike is safer now than it was two months ago. We will continue to work toward making this roadway safer in the future for pedestrians."

Deputy Speaker Earlene Hooper said, "Hempstead Turnpike is safer today because of Governor Cuomo's leadership and State DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald's initiative. I appreciate the tremendous amount of work that went into making these pedestrian improvements on Hempstead Turnpike and look forward to continuing to work with DOT to enhance safety for everyone who travels our highways."

Federal Highway Administration Transportation Safety Engineer Emmett McDevitt said, "The coordination and cooperation among state, county and local officials to address pedestrian safety on this corridor has been unprecedented. The speed at which this corridor was analyzed and inventoried for engineering, educational and enforcement strategies is laudable. However, even with all of the countermeasures that will be employed in the next few months, pedestrians have the ultimate responsibility for their own safety by crossing at marked crosswalks, obeying the pedestrian signal, and making themselves visible at night, at dusk and at dawn.

Christopher McBride, community transportation specialist with AAA New York, said, "We are pleased that the NYSDOT is taking substantial measures to ensure the safety of both pedestrians and drivers along this heavily traveled corridor. Senior pedestrians in particular will benefit from the countdown pedestrian signals that will help them to better judge if they can safely cross a street at a particular location. We look forward to working with DOT and the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board to educate pedestrians and drivers about these new safety improvements." AAA New York is based in Garden City, Nassau County.

Posted Monday May 07, 2012 at 11:42 am by New York State Department of Transportation
Last Updated Monday May 07, 2012 at 03:32 pm