Is the Current Data Standard Really Enough for Improving Pedestrian Safety? Jodi Hackworth, MPH, Epidemiologist Joan Keene, GIS Lead Analyst, Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County

Health by Design is a coalition of diverse partners who work to ensure that communities throughout Indiana have neighborhoods, public spaces and transportation infrastructure that promote physical activity and healthy living. The priority goals of Health by Design are to:             Increase walking, biking and public transit options Encourage responsible land use Improve neighborhood, city and regional connectivity Reduce automobile dependency

Indiana Walks A Pedestrian/Walkability Workgroup Meets the 2nd Monday of each month, from 2:30 - 4:30 PM For more information, contact Kim Irwin at kirwin@hbdin.org Partners are working to improve walkability and pedestrian safety around the state

Support Funding for this program provided by grants from: The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for an Innovative Traffic Safety Project Federal fiscal year: October 2014 - September 2015 October 2015 - September 2016 October 2016 - September 2017

Pedestrian Problem During 2012, 1750 pedestrians in Indiana were involved in traffic crashes (Indiana Crash Facts) Hoosier pedestrians are killed at a rate 20 times greater than vehicle drivers Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services indicated that over 500 pedestrian crashes occurred in Marion County alone during 2012

Why Work on Pedestrian Injuries? Identify areas with a higher than average level of pedestrian crashes for targeted infrastructure improvements. Target safety messages in high crash areas specific to demographics and crash reasons. Also target messaging for schools, mass transit (bus) riders, community/neighborhood groups, churches, etc. If resources allow, distribute reflective wrist bands and other pedestrian safety “bling” to targeted groups. Approach law enforcement to conduct targeted traffic enforcement. Lower speed limits and eliminate one-way streets.

Project Overview Since 2013, Health by Design has worked with the Marion County Public Health Department and other community partners in data mapping Crashes were mapped but at that point didn’t have a detailed analysis of other factors such as infrastructure (sidewalks), temporal or seasonal conditions or human behavior First grant executed in 2015 to identify and designate pedestrian safety zones

Methodology Obtained pedestrian crash data from the Automated Reporting Information Exchange System (ARIES) for five year period Each crash reviewed in depth to ensure occurred on a public roadway Took out private driveways, parking lots, interstate crashes and bicycles Final Data Set for 2010-2014 = 1154 pedestrian crashes for Marion County Added in 2015 data (386 Pedestrian crashes)

Methodology 1154 crashes mapped and spatial analysis completed using the US Department of Transportation National Highway Safety Administration Zone Guide for Pedestrian Safety Each crash was mapped off of longitude and latitude Zones determined based upon density and clustering For each zone, an efficiency ratio and crash severity was calculated indicating relative risk

Methodology Once the high efficiency zones were identified, temporal, seasonal, weather and lighting factors, pre-crash vehicle action, characteristics of the pedestrians were all analyzed from the ARIES data Walkability assessments were conducted in the most dangerous pedestrian zones Repeated the same steps with 2015 data and added in 2 more zones

Zone Analysis for 2 Zones

Results and Findings for 2010-2015 The top 10 pedestrian safety zones revealed the following: The number of crashes each year remained generally consistent Seven percent of crashes resulted in immediate death; another 11% were incapacitating Twenty percent of crashes were hit and runs

Results/Findings Crashes occurred most often in clear (66%), dry (76%), daylight (50%) conditions, between 4 – 8 p.m. (30%) or 8 p.m.-Midnight (21%) September, October, November and December were the most common months for crashes (9%, 9%, 9% and 10%, respectively) Men accounted for 60% of pedestrians struck; 31-60 year olds accounted for 43% of the pedestrians struck

Results/Findings Information about the race and ethnicity of pedestrians struck was not available Pedestrians were struck in mid-block crossings in 39.7% of crashes and at intersections in 36.6% (2010-2014) Pedestrian action was cited as the primary cause of the crash in 50% of incidents; failure to yield was noted in 24% of crashes In 61% of crashes, the driver was going straight; in 18% of crashes he/she was making a left turn Neither drivers nor pedestrians were tested for alcohol or drugs 84.2% of the time (2010-2014)

Results/Findings of Safety Audits Safety audits in the top pedestrian safety zones revealed the following: There were often sidewalks present in these zones, but they were not always continuous, along both sides of the street or a minimum of five feet wide, and they were frequently interrupted by driveways Curb ramps at intersections or driveways were frequent, but were not always textured, per Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards

Results/Findings of Safety Audits The sidewalks were commonly blocked by poles, signs, shrubs or vehicles and rarely had a buffer between the travel lane Transit stops were common, but didn’t always have adjacent sidewalks and rarely included shelters or adequate lighting Pedestrians often needed to walk more than one-half of a block to cross and marked crosswalks were infrequent

Results/Findings of Safety Audits Pedestrian signals, when present, rarely included a countdown timer, and were even less frequently audible When push-to-walk button were present, they weren’t always accessible or operating Drivers did not always stop behind crosswalks or before intersections, yield to pedestrians or appear to be obeying speed limits Features to improve comfort and appeal, such as trees, landscaping, benches, bathrooms, etc., were not often present

Next Steps Detailed analysis of downtown data for 2010-2015 was completed Add in Indianapolis EMS data to find gaps Preliminary data from Indianapolis EMS indicated as many as three to four times more pedestrian crashes occur each year compared to what is completed for police reports Look at Dispatch data for entire city Indianapolis EMS does not cover entire county Continue to work in established pedestrian zones Look at severity of crashes (Fatal and Incapacitating) based on Police data Add in Trauma Center data

Injury Prevention Model The Four E’s  Education  Engineering  Enforcement  Encouragement

Education Continue to work with partners in the top pedestrian safety zones to do to targeted safety messaging Launch a pedestrian safety campaign for Indianapolis

Engineering Work with the City of Indianapolis to implement low cost countermeasures in the top pedestrian safety zones. These countermeasures included marking crosswalks, signage and lowering speed limits Use data on the crash analysis to prioritize where Indianapolis spends its limited $$ on higher cost infrastructure investments to improve safety

Enforcement Current grant has money earmarked to do targeted enforcement in the top pedestrian safety zones Notify public of enforcement program Ensure enforcement begins with education Consider use of “street teams” in educating pedestrians – usually low economic, minority, and transit dependent areas

Encouragement Use Walkways as the “vehicle” to create a strong walking culture throughout Indianapolis and to advocate for more walkable places

Any questions

Contact Information Jodi Hackworth 317-944-5434 jhackworth@iuhealth.org Joan Keene 317-221-2289 jkeene@hhcorp.org

Thank You!