Fwd: Hearing Scheduled for Pedestrian Safety Bill

[John Brooking]

Relevant pedestrian information from South Portland planner Tex Hauser:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Haeuser,Charles <CHAE...@southportland.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 12:03 PM
Subject: Hearing Scheduled for Pedestrian Safety Bill
To: "Haeuser,Charles" <CHAE...@southportland.org>
Cc: "Beatty, Scott" <sbe...@smccme.edu>, "Kish, Carey" <ck...@gpcog.org>, "Meyers,Tom" <tme...@southportland.org>, "Howard,Doug" <Dho...@southportland.org>, "Bradley Lyon (bl...@sebagotechnics.com)" <bl...@sebagotechnics.com>, "Sawyer Steve (ssa...@sebagotechnics.com)" <ssa...@sebagotechnics.com>, "Derek Olson PE, PTOE (Derek...@maine.gov)" <Derek...@maine.gov>, "Gailey, James" <JGA...@southportland.org>, Terry Morrison <TMorr...@msn.com>

Good Morning,

 

Stemming from the Eastern Broadway traffic meetings and the work of the South Portland Bike-Ped Committee, District 122 Rep. Terry Morrison has gone to bat for pedestrian safety and has submitted a bill that would require motorists to stop and not just yield for pedestrians in unsignalized crosswalks (please see attached).  Many of us think that Maine law requires cars to stop but technically that isn’t the case.

 

In order to get this bill passed, it would help if several people could come to the public hearing and say just a few words (two sentences would do it, really) about the need to balance the rights of pedestrians with those of motorists and to remove the ambiguity of what “yield” means and explicitly say “stop.”  The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13^th at 1:00 PM in Transportation Committee Room 126 of the State House in Augusta.

 

So, two things:

 

1.  Are there some people who would like to ride up with me (or go on their own) to the hearing to support Rep. Morrison’s efforts with this bill?

 

2. Can anyone recall the location in Portland, or elsewhere, of any of the signs that say “Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk—It’s the Law”?  These signs technically are illegal and I want to get a photo of one.

 

Thanks,

Tex H.

 

Tex Haeuser

Planning & Development Director

City of South Portland

www.southportland.org

Office:  207-767-7649

Fax:       207-767-2197

 

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--
John Brooking, LCI, CSI, BPSE
Bicycle Traffic Confidence Educator
League Cycling Instructor, bikeleague.org
Cycling Savvy Instructor, cyclingsavvy.org
Maine Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Educator, bikemaine.org
Boy Scout Cycling Merit Badge Counselor

[CitymouseUS]

I'm going to speak for this item, today. Is anyone else going?

Alex

---

From: John Brooking <bi...@mainebrook.com>
To: pb...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 2:58 PM
Subject: [pbpac] Fwd: Hearing Scheduled for Pedestrian Safety Bill

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[CitymouseUS]

Council is meeting to approve (or kill) the Congress St Bus Priority Corridor. I don't know what kind of support it has on Council. Is anyone planning to go or know how likely it is to be approved?

Story in Press Herald today: http://www.pressherald.com/news/council-will-consider-plan-for-bus-service-traffic_2013-02-25.html

This item is first on the City Council agenda, after Proclamations and Appointments. So, about 7:30pm?

Alex