But, but, jaywalking isn't illegal


By JACK BARTHOLET, John Hopkins News-Letter [excerpt]

“Not to be overlooked [is that] city police have initiated warnings and issuance of citations for jaywalking violations in an effort to educate and direct pedestrians to cross at the proper locations. This past weekend, 40 warnings were issued by city police officers for jaywalking during late evening hours. These initiatives are part of the coordinated state, city, and university effort to introduce improved traffic engineering, enforcement and education measures recommended by university and city consultants targeting improved pedestrian safety,” Kibler wrote. [Major George Kibler, the Hopkins Campus Safety and Security officer in charge of operations]

<a href="http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2012/09/27/construction-to-enhance-safety-underway-85181/">http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2012/09/27/construction-to-enhance-safety-underway-85181/</a>;
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B' Spokes: Ummm, jaywalking is not illegal. See this for full explanation: Surprising Aspects of Pedestrian Laws <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120724122923346">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120724122923346</a>;

Given: Multi-lane roadways made uncontrolled pedestrian crosswalks unsafe. The motorist yielding compliance rates were less than 2% overall at these crosswalks.
Ref: Case Study: Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons in St. Petersburg (baseline) <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120917210334134">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120917210334134</a>;

I will strongly assert that with yield rates that low it is safer to cross mid-block.

It makes no sense to me for the police to solely target pedestrians for something that is not even a violation while letting speeding, rolling through stops and unyielding cars that could kill or maim go off scot free. I will strongly assert that proper safety enforcement should have at least 10 motorist tickets to one pedestrian ticket [There are a lot more motorists then pedestrians.] And no mention of having even one motorist ticketed or warning issued... well that is just wrong!

Again see: Does Hopkins get pedestrian safety or are they playing the blame the victim game? <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120908155605576">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120908155605576</a>;

And this got National blog attention: Hopkins, this is how you do it. <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120918004011869">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120918004011869</a>;

Hopkins is clearly not getting what makes for pedestrian safety, if you are inclined, write or call:
Major George Kibler 410-516-6628 kibler@jhu.edu (And just a reminder, be polite, these maybe new concepts to him.)
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An additional thought:
Oregon gets 20 mph speed limit on streets to make them safer and less deadly while doing 40+mph on a 35 mph street is the norm and no accountability for drivers who put others in danger.
Ref: Speeding and its negative impacts on community safety <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120922154522375">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120922154522375</a>;

Highlight from the comments:
Per <a href="http://stko.maryland.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=q18ZFLd3XN4%3d&amp;tabid=190&amp;mid=1039">http://stko.maryland.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=q18ZFLd3XN4%3d&amp;tabid=190&amp;mid=1039</a>;
Baltimore represents 32% of the state's pedestrian crashes and 31% of the injury crashes, that's huge!

I will also note in my 2006 crash analysis Baltimore stood out as having 50% pedestrian crashes at intersections and 50% mid-block. I am not convinced that &quot;crossing in designated areas&quot; will help one bit.

by B' Spokes

Like most people I live a hectic life and who has the time for much exercise? Thanks to xtracycle now I do. By using my bike for daily activities I can get things done and get an hour plus work out in 15 minutes extra of my time, not a bad deal and beats taking the extra time going to the gym. In case you are still having trouble being motivated; the National Center of Disease Control says that inactivity is the #2 killer in the United States just behind smoking. ( http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/bb_nutrition/ ) Get out there and start living life! I can carry home a full shopping cart of groceries, car pool two kids or just get lost in the great outdoors camping for a week. Well I got go, another outing this weekend.
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Hi Barry, I beg to differ. Jaywalking is illegal--assuming onme is using the correct definition of the word, which is a bit of a perjorative but means walking on roads oblivious to the rules of the road. The term, is misued by people everywhere. My efforts to get the Gazette to stop implying it is illegal to cross at unmarked crosswalks have gone nowhere--I guess emailing the reporter is not enough. In your case at hand, I gather that there are not traffic lights on both ends? Crossing midblock is illegal if traffic lights, of course. Your basic point about the need to ticket drivers who fail to stop at unmarked crosswalks is key. Even the stings use marked crosswalks. There is no realy pedestrian rights group in Maryland, as far as I can tell. Should cycling groups switch over and make a big push for pedestrian rights, as a sort of "broken windows" theory of traffic enforcement? It is possible that a push to enforce crosswalk laws would do more to promote safe cycling than a push to enforce the 3-foot law. Drivers who actually stop for peds are proceeding more slowls and far more attentive--and cyclists pushing for the broader interest might be more persuasive. Jim
Jim,

My issues:
1) Use descriptive terminology that agrees with the law. e.g. Violation of § 21-503.c Crossing between adjacent intersections with traffic control signals
Otherwise it would be like saying "riding a bicycle in the road is illegal" but in reality only meaning that riding against the flow of traffic is illegal but in the other direction it is not. (I.e. the position in the roadway is significant.)

2) Educate them motorists!
FARS 2010 DATA (Maryland is still in the top 10 (worst)) http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20120802152836199
It's pedestrians not cyclists that make up the bulk of the vulnerable road user fatalities that bring Maryland into the top ten worst, (Maryland cyclists big issue is our mode share is ridiculously low, Which is due in part IMHO because most people recognize we have crazy out of control drivers.)

Per http://stko.maryland.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=q18ZFLd3XN4%3d&tabid=190&mid=1039
Baltimore represents 32% of the state's pedestrian crashes and 31% of the injury crashes, that's huge!

I will also note in my 2006 crash analysis Baltimore stood out as having 50% pedestrian crashes at intersections and 50% mid-block. I am not convinced that "crossing in designated areas" only will help one bit.