Pedestrian safety recommendations.
Tony Pucca
The current threat to pedestrian safety in the downtown White Plains
neighborhood is based on three things: Errant drivers, poor signage
and areas with lack of lighting.
What it's like now:
With respect to errant drivers, many parts of the downtown
neighborhood such as North/South Broadway and the "H" intersection
that accompanies it at Main Street, have become all too frequented
with speeding drivers on their way in and out of White Plains
nightlife, drivers making improper or misguided turns through
downtown intersections, and lost drivers -- trying to find White
Plains landmarks -- who make wrong turns on one-way streets and/or
ignore street signs while trying to find their destinations.
As a lifelong resident of the North Broadway neighborhood, and
someone whose apartment overlooks the "H" intersection of Main St.
And North/South Broadway, an accident from cars coming up Main St.
and turning onto South Broadway is a weekly occurrence. This is
usually because of drivers who ignore lane signage and typically from
visiting drivers who are lost. This poses a threat to the many
pedestrians that cross from the Main St. & South Broadway corner
heading towards the median.
Coincidentally, the other side of Broadway faces a similar problem.
At the corner of Main St. and Westchester Ave. (where Reka's Thai
restaurant is), many cars endanger pedestrians by making illegal --
and speeding -- right turns on red lights from Westchester Ave. onto
eastbound Main St. With the number of school children, senior
citizens, and parents with babies in strollers crossing Broadway,
this is constantly a tragedy waiting to happen.
Another major problem in the neighborhood is one that I have made
aware to the local community and local government as well, many
times: drivers who speed up and down Broadway and other downtown
streets on their ingress or egress from White Plains nightlife. Many
of these drivers are disrespectful to local signage and pedestrian
laws, speed, and as was the case with a gentleman who was killed at
the corner of Franklin Ave. and Westchester Ave. a few years ago, are
intoxicated.
With respect to signage, downtown White Plains is flooded with
signage. However, much of it is not truly smart signage placement.
Many directional signs are small and stuffed onto traffic light
posts, and intermingled with actual traffic signs. They either
confuse drivers or are ignored by them. This causes many drivers to
go down the wrong streets, slowdown unnecessarily, or speed up
unnecessarily out of panic of losing their way. Since White Plains
attracts many shoppers and people from out of city, the placement of
signage and logical directions for visitors needs to be evaluated.
Sign posts on the side of the street aren't used as frequently as
they should. Moving signs here could, in some places, decrease the
congestion of signs on traffic light crossposts.
Another area of White Plains signage that affects pedestrian safety
are the actual crosswalk signals. Many of the downtown crosswalk
signals seem to favor automobile traffic over pedestrian traffic.
Therefore the "walk" light time is inappropriate for the needs of the
average downtown pedestrian. Our downtown is more of a pedestrian
area then an auto-dominated grid. However, if you were to look at,
say, the walk from the Westchester Ave./North Broadway corner to the
Main St./South Broadway corner, you'd see that pedestrians have a
very short amount of time to cross the street before the "red light
countdown" begins on the crosswalk signal. In fact, if you are a
senior citizen or someone who does not walk quickly, it is very very
likely you will not make it across the street here while the "Walk"
signal is in your favor.
With respect to lack of lighting -- there are many streets and lots
in the downtown neighborhood that do not have sufficient lighting at
night. One that comes to mind is the corner of Martine Ave. and South
Broadway. For neighborhood residents, this is a pedestrian traffic
area from the City Center garage. There is also an educational
building located here. However, at night this corner and part of the
street tends to become very dark. Another area with poor lighting as
well is the strip of green between Franklin Ave. and Main St. we call
Broadpark. This walkway, which is often frequented by late-night
revelers and sometimes the homeless, is dark at night and invites
mishap. However, the insertion of any lighting here would have to
balance with the rights for a calm night time landscape for the many
residents whose units overlook this park.
Why this should be improved:
Simply, a downtown with a logical, user-friendly traffic flow, decent
visual signage, and properly lit areas at night makes for a better
place to walk. It is well-known that poorly lit urban streets and
venues where traffic regulations are often ignored makes for a place
that welcomes crime, mishap and injury.
How this could be improved:
1. Better enforcement of traffic to let visiting drivers know that
the downtown White Plains area must be respected for the sake of
other cars and pedestrians alike. Lane markings and signage should be
clear and logical, without overcrowding traffic light posts and
possibly using streetside signposts more. The often-used street
dividers, speed bumps and temporary LED signs only serve to make the
downtown streetscape more confusing for visiting drivers.
2. A consistent signage strategy for downtown, some of which is in
place in certain corners and intersections near Mamaroneck Ave.,
needs to be devised for the entire city. Directional signs for White
Plains landmarks need to be a consistent color, style and design
which is identical throughout the city so that drivers can quickly
differentiate them from traffic signs. This will all help intrusions
onto pedestrian crosswalks or violations of red light signals by
allowing visiting drivers to be able to find their way around White
Plains without losing concentration on the street in front of them.
3. Applying lighting solutions to dark corners and streets that have
sizable pedestrian traffic at night would help make our streets safer
for pedestrians by reducing the opportunity for crime. A proper
lighting solution doesn't take a giant light post with a lighthouse-
power lamp. Subtle but adequate lighting in many areas would be
sufficient without causing an eyesore to her beautiful neighborhoods.
How much would it cost?
Obviously measures such as new signage, increased enforcement of
traffic regulations, and lighting cost money. However the short-term
investment in these measures must be weighed against the long-term
safety and peacefulness of the downtown community -- which is
increasingly becoming a pedestrian-powered area. If we can prevent
the next auto vs. pedestrian tragedy that every penny would be well
worth it.
Some of these measures, such as devising a signage strategy and
properly timing crosswalk signals to favor pedestrians more,
shouldn't cost anything as they are the product of manpower is
already paid for by the city.
Simply put, control both the traffic and the pedestrian lighting to
ward off opportunity for lawless both on crosswalks and sidewalks.
Tony Pucca
WPDRA
===========================
The current threat to pedestrian safety in the downtown White Plains neighborhood is based on three things: Errant drivers, poor signage and areas with lack of lighting.
What it's like now:
With respect to errant drivers, many parts of the downtown neighborhood such as North/South Broadway and the "H" intersection that accompanies it at Main Street, have become all too frequented with speeding drivers on their way in and out of White Plains nightlife, drivers making improper or misguided turns through downtown intersections, and lost drivers -- trying to find White Plains landmarks -- who make wrong turns on one-way streets and/or ignore street signs while trying to find their destinations.
As a lifelong resident of the North Broadway neighborhood, and someone whose apartment overlooks the "H" intersection of Main St. And North/South Broadway, an accident from cars coming up Main St. and turning onto South Broadway is a weekly occurrence. This is usually because of drivers who ignore lane signage and typically from visiting drivers who are lost. This poses a threat to the many pedestrians that cross from the Main St. & South Broadway corner heading towards the median.
Coincidentally, the other side of Broadway faces a similar problem. At the corner of Main St. and Westchester Ave. (where Reka's Thai restaurant is), many cars endanger pedestrians by making illegal -- and speeding -- right turns on red lights from Westchester Ave. onto eastbound Main St. With the number of school children, senior citizens, and parents with babies in strollers crossing Broadway, this is constantly a tragedy waiting to happen.
Another major problem in the neighborhood is one that I have made aware to the local community and local government as well, many times: drivers who speed up and down Broadway and other downtown streets on their ingress or egress from White Plains nightlife. Many of these drivers are disrespectful to local signage and pedestrian laws, speed, and as was the case with a gentleman who was killed at the corner of Franklin Ave. and Westchester Ave. a few years ago, are intoxicated.
With respect to signage, downtown White Plains is flooded with signage. However, much of it is not truly smart signage placement. Many directional signs are small and stuffed onto traffic light posts, and intermingled with actual traffic signs. They either confuse drivers or are ignored by them. This causes many drivers to go down the wrong streets, slowdown unnecessarily, or speed up unnecessarily out of panic of losing their way. Since White Plains attracts many shoppers and people from out of city, the placement of signage and logical directions for visitors needs to be evaluated. Sign posts on the side of the street aren't used as frequently as they should. Moving signs here could, in some places, decrease the congestion of signs on traffic light crossposts.
Another area of White Plains signage that affects pedestrian safety are the actual crosswalk signals. Many of the downtown crosswalk signals seem to favor automobile traffic over pedestrian traffic. Therefore the "walk" light time is inappropriate for the needs of the average downtown pedestrian. Our downtown is more of a pedestrian area then an auto-dominated grid. However, if you were to look at, say, the walk from the Westchester Ave./North Broadway corner to the Main St./South Broadway corner, you'd see that pedestrians have a very short amount of time to cross the street before the "red light countdown" begins on the crosswalk signal. In fact, if you are a senior citizen or someone who does not walk quickly, it is very very likely you will not make it across the street here while the "Walk" signal is in your favor.
With respect to lack of lighting -- there are many streets and lots in the downtown neighborhood that do not have sufficient lighting at night. One that comes to mind is the corner of Martine Ave. and South Broadway. For neighborhood residents, this is a pedestrian traffic area from the City Center garage. There is also an educational building located here. However, at night this corner and part of the street tends to become very dark. Another area with poor lighting as well is the strip of green between Franklin Ave. and Main St. we call Broadpark. This walkway, which is often frequented by late-night revelers and sometimes the homeless, is dark at night and invites mishap. However, the insertion of any lighting here would have to balance with the rights for a calm night time landscape for the many residents whose units overlook this park.
Why this should be improved:
Simply, a downtown with a logical, user-friendly traffic flow, decent visual signage, and properly lit areas at night makes for a better place to walk. It is well-known that poorly lit urban streets and venues where traffic regulations are often ignored makes for a place that welcomes crime, mishap and injury.
How this could be improved:
1. Better enforcement of traffic to let visiting drivers know that the downtown White Plains area must be respected for the sake of other cars and pedestrians alike. Lane markings and signage should be clear and logical, without overcrowding traffic light posts and possibly using streetside signposts more. The often-used street dividers, speed bumps and temporary LED signs only serve to make the downtown streetscape more confusing for visiting drivers.
2. A consistent signage strategy for downtown, some of which is in place in certain corners and intersections near Mamaroneck Ave., needs to be devised for the entire city. Directional signs for White Plains landmarks need to be a consistent color, style and design which is identical throughout the city so that drivers can quickly differentiate them from traffic signs. This will all help intrusions onto pedestrian crosswalks or violations of red light signals by allowing visiting drivers to be able to find their way around White Plains without losing concentration on the street in front of them.
3. Applying lighting solutions to dark corners and streets that have sizable pedestrian traffic at night would help make our streets safer for pedestrians by reducing the opportunity for crime. A proper lighting solution doesn't take a giant light post with a lighthouse-power lamp. Subtle but adequate lighting in many areas would be sufficient without causing an eyesore to her beautiful neighborhoods.
How much would it cost?
Obviously measures such as new signage, increased enforcement of traffic regulations, and lighting cost money. However the short-term investment in these measures must be weighed against the long-term safety and peacefulness of the downtown community -- which is increasingly becoming a pedestrian-powered area. If we can prevent the next auto vs. pedestrian tragedy that every penny would be well worth it.
Some of these measures, such as devising a signage strategy and properly timing crosswalk signals to favor pedestrians more, shouldn't cost anything as they are the product of manpower is already paid for by the city.
Simply put, control both the traffic and the pedestrian lighting to ward off opportunity for lawless both on crosswalks and sidewalks.
Tony Pucca
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