October 18, 2002, #2

Let's Walk & Roll

Making Alameda Safer

The Alameda Police Department has teamed up with Pedestrian Friendly Alameda, BikeAlameda and other city departments to make Alameda a safer place to walk and bike. The approach is to work pro-actively on safety and education concerns, rather than reacting to problems as they arise. As a result of the hard work of the APD, Alameda’s auto-pedestrian accident rate is down nearly 20% this year.

Initiatives include:

The Alameda Police Department Pedestrian Decoy Enforcement program is designed as an educational/enforcement component of the Pedestrian Safety Program. A police department employee in plain clothes crosses the street inside a marked crosswalk and tickets are issued to those drivers who fail to yield right-of-way to the pedestrian.

Pedestrian safety banners are raised periodically over busy streets in Alameda, reminding the community to take care and be aware of our pedestrians. In addition, new signs will soon be posted at every city entrance reminding drivers to watch for pedestrians.

The Alameda Police Department will soon have a new speed trailer purchased through a grant made available by the California Office of Traffic Safety. The speed trailer measures the speed of approaching vehicles and flashed the speed reminding the drivers of their speed.

The Alameda Police Department now has a Neighborhood Speed Watch Program. The program utilizes the assistance of folks in a neighborhood where speeding vehicles are a problem. A radar gun is used to check the speed. If a vehicle is seen speeding, the police department sends a letter to the registered owner asking them to slow down and be aware of the speed limit. (Contact the Alameda Police Department, Traffic Unit for details.)

Pedestrian Friendly Alameda (PFA), with the PTA Council, just completed the Second Annual Walk & Roll to School Day at 11 elementary schools. This event is focused on the health and safety aspects of walking or bicycling to school.

“Keep Kids Alive. Drive 25” campaign: PFA is working with the PTA to educate drivers to slow down.

PFA is working with Public Works to install new pedestrian signs at schools, as well as to make intersections safer via signal timing, signage and traffic calming techniques.

Jeff Swatman is the Alameda Police Department Traffic Sergeant. If you have questions regarding pedestrian/bicycle safety, please call him at 748-4508 extension 3342. John Knox White and Audrey Lord-Hausman work with Pedestrian Friendly Alameda (www.pedfriendly.org) and BikeAlameda (www.bikealameda.org).

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