Aging Obstacle #216
The Crosswalk
Whenever I’m trying to explain the need and importance of what age-friendly planning is, I usually highlight some very specific tangible examples. My standby and the one that most people seem to get immediately, is the timing of crosswalks. According to THIS great article by CityLab the time is typically 4 feet per second – which, for anyone that’s tried to cross with crutches, a small child, a walker, or with any other limited mobility, knows is a close call and 2.5 to 3 feet per second is a recommended alternative. Many times I’ve seen seniors or folks in manual wheelchairs half way through a large intersection and the light for oncoming traffic has already turned green – equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. In fact, apparently in Los Angeles, 82 yr old Mayvis Coyle was given a $114 ticket for taking too long to cross the street in 2006 – the fines were eventually dropped (see HERE).
These large intersections are not only dangerous but can be isolating for seniors that don’t want to risk their safety, even preventing them from accessing services or businesses that lie on the other side of dangerous streets. If I sound dramatic, check out THIS LA Times article that focuses on New York City and the disproportionate senior deaths as pedestrians due to dangerous streets.
With so many things changing – how we interact with our cities, the rapidly growing and aging population, a shift from car focused living to livable streets – its not surprising that the planned purpose of streets has changed considerably from when they were originally designed. Or, as quoted by Noah Budnick the NYC deputy director of Transportation Alternatives,
“Streets are no longer primarily for moving traffic as quickly as possible. That’s a very 1950’s notion of middle America. Our streets are where we live in this city, and walking is the primary mode of how people get around. But older people simply don’t have enough time to cross the street.”
In response, NYC created a program in 2008, Safe Streets for Seniors, that determines trouble areas as well as possible mitigation efforts based on crash data (check that HERE). Not being a NYC resident, I can’t attest to the changes but just clicking through the reports and pictures, I have to say I’m impressed.
Finally, the CityLab article focuses on the need of improving infrastructure and the challenges associated, areas that are often managed by professionals and agencies that very rarely consider the unique needs of an aging population. Transportation engineers, urban planners, architects, and other city departments often assume full mobility as a starting point. And in conclusion, the article calls it a problem of imagination, which seems like an over-simplification that I challenge. Personally, I consider it a problem of ignorance, at best, or a problem of prioritization, at worst.
Articles
CityLab, “The Next Big Infrastructure Crisis? Age-proofing Our Cities” HERE
LA Times, “Elderly Pedestrians: Crosswalks Increasingly Deadly for the Elderly” HERE