Walking is the most basic form of transportation, and when it replaces a trip taken by car it reduces roadway congestion and pollution by eliminating them at the source. Every trip we make, even by car, we begin and end as pedestrians. For mass transit to be effective, passengers must be able to walk between transit stops and multiple destinations of interest. Walking can also be a pleasant way to exercise, relax, and socially interact with others in the community. The safety and convenience of pedestrian travel is an important factor in our quality of life.

The purpose of this web site is to promote better pedestrian access and safety in Cary, North Carolina and other fast-growing suburbs by drawing attention to how our decisions affect community walkability.

NEW: The philosophy behind the work presented here is explained in this essay: The Right to Travel by Human Power

Three factors that affect the safety and walkability of a community are Engineering, Education, and Enforcement:

The design of a community's streets, sidewalks, buildings, parking lots, and public spaces determines what transportation facilities are available, how safe they are, and how people will choose to use them. Land-use decisions also determine what destinations are within walking distance. The following links explore how engineering decisions affect walkability:

• An Illustrated Guide to Good and Bad Walkway Designs in Cary - Pictures!
• Street Crossings - Safe and frequent crossing facilities define a walkable community.
• Effects of Buffers and Street Layout on Walkability - does this look like your neighborhood?
• Public Policies and Development Practices that Discourage Walking - how we got where we are today
• Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan includes extensive provisions for pedestrian travel
• Town of Cary Land Use Plan advocates anti-sprawl, neighborhood-centric development
• Sidewalk Projects are scheduled by and may be requested from the Town of Cary Engineering Department
• Walking in Washington Washington State DOT's excellent pedestrian transportation web site loaded with technical information
• Pedestrian Facilities Guidebook: Incorporating Pedestrians into Washington's Transportation System is the State of Washington's guide to pedestrian-friendly street and site design. (Adobe Acrobat .PDF file)
• Walkable Communities, Inc. - provides consulting services for improving neighborhood walkability

Education

The safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists requires that all transportation users know their responsibilities when sharing the road, and understand the risks of death or injury that their behavior may cause. It is also important for citizens to know the full costs and benefits of different modalities when weighing their transportation options and establishing public policy.

• North Carolina Pedestrian Laws - Pedestrian rights and responsibilities according to NC statutes
• North Carolina Motor Vehicle Laws Affecting Pedestrians - Do you know your responsibilities as a driver?
• Effects of Vehicle Speed on Pedestrian Fatality Rates - increasing speed by 10 mph increases odds of fatality by several times
• www.walkinginfo.org - site developed by the UNC Highway Safety Research Center
• Mean Streets, an alarming report on pedestrian safety in the USA
• Perils for Pedestrians details pedestrian safety issues.
• Pedestrian Safety Roadshow at FHWA - pedestrian safety resources developed by the US DOT
• The Transportation Action Network discusses neighborhood livability and transportation issues
• Architect James Howard Kunstler writes about the effects of sprawl development on livability, community, and sense of place in Home from Nowhere, excerpts of which are published at http://www3.theatlantic.com/issues/96sep/kunstler/kunstler.htm

Enforcement

How we drive, bike, and walk on our streets affects public safety and shapes popular ideas of acceptable behavior. Improving safety requires that we communicate our expectations of others and hold each other accountable. Traffic laws are designed to make our streets safer and to guarantee access to all road users. Most traffic accidents are caused when someone breaks the law and behaves unsafely by speeding, running red lights or stop signs, failing to yield, tailgating, failing to reduce speed, driving while impaired, or simply not paying attention. Pedestrians can also cause accidents by crossing against a signal or stepping into the roadway where vehicles cannot stop in time. Effective enforcement of traffic laws improves compliance and safety.

• Cary Police -Traffic Safety Team - Focus on drunk driving, seat-belt use, and crashes related to speeding
• Cary Crime Statistics including Traffic Stops and Citations (Adobe Acrobat File)
• North Carolina Motor Vehicle Laws and Rules of the Road at NC General Assembly web site

• The Town of Cary Web site is at http://www.townofcary.org/
• The Cary Citizens for Balanced Growth Web site is at http://www.carycbg.org/

Yes, this site has changed its name. Here's why.

This Web site was inspired by two events: First, two student athletes visiting UNC-Chapel Hill in 1999 were struck by a car in Durham as they crossed 15-501 from a shopping plaza to their hotel. The intersection was not designed with pedestrians in mind, and no crossing lights or painted crosswalks existed to allow them to cross safely between two natural points of origin for pedestrian traffic. Similar conditions can be found in Cary. Second, the Cary Comprehensive Transportation Advisory Committee is currently considering issues such as pedestrian safety, sidewalks, and alternatives to automobiles as part of their long-term planning goals for the town and shaping of town policies. This page is provided to the Committee and town planners to illustrate examples of where improvement is needed. It is also intended to show developers and others in the Triangle area how development decisions can affect the viability of alternative transportation options.

Copyright Notice: All contents of this page, except links to other sites, are original works by Steven Goodridge, the author of this web site. These works are hereby released to the public domain to be freely copied and redistributed in whole or in part for public, private, and/or commercial use.