Pedestrian Fatalities Hit Home

[JFman00]

We had an extended safety brief at my squadron today at NAS in response to two fatalities in as many weeks.

http://m.jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-04-15/story/navy-employee-killed-jacksonville-beach-crash-suspect-charged-dui
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-04-29/story/jacksonville-pedestrian-struck-car-early-sunday-morning

One thing to know is that Jacksonville is the 3rd most-dangerous city in the US for pedestrians. http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-05-30/story/study-jacksonville-third-most-dangerous-city-pedestrians-america . The car culture here needs to change.

[Anti redneck]

That would be nice.

[Jumpinjack]

I'm really glad to hear the Navy taking this seriously. But the problem is beyond car drivers versus pedestrians. That repoprt you mentioned is called Dangerous by Design. It points out that the risky behavior for pedestrians and drivers is increased by having wide roads which encourage higher speeds, few sidewalks and bike lanes, and long blocks with few safe crossing places and businesses crowded in a long strip fashion on two sides of a big highway. 

Just two days ago, on Beach Blvd. two pedestrians were attempting to cross mid-block from Staples to the K-Mart across 6 lanes of traffic. It was insane but in a way, I understand how it happens.

[cline]

There's been an interesting couple of editorials in the FTU this past week about the sidewalk project on Mickler's Road in Palm Valley.  Some letter writers really want the sidewalks and other think it is a waste of money and the road should be four-laned.  I would vote for the sidewalks.

[aclchampion]

Tuesday afternoon I was heading home west bound on Adams St towards I-95. Its one way all the way. Suddenly I saw cars in front of me swerving over to the left and the right. Right down the middle of the road, coming against traffic was some dumba$$ girl on roller blades! All it would have taken would have been one driver looking down at his radio or cell phone and boom. Pedestrians are sometimes just as much at fault as drivers.

[Jumpinjack]

No argument there.

[Bativac]

My wife and I were out bicycling last night, around 8:15, riding from our home near Empire Point to San Marco. A 2.5 mile ride across several intersections and long stretches of road where each driver feels the need to one-up the guy next to him by gunning it. Between that and cars running every stop sign between Kings Ave and San Marco, it was like a race for our lives. Not to mention the occupants of at least two cars shouting unintelligibly at us.

This city continues to be deadly dangerous but many of the above behaviors have zero to do with road design. It's a peculiar mindset around these parts that pedestrians are the enemy.

[Tacachale]

^It's encouraged by the mindset and the design that privileges car travel above all other options. When everything's built for cars anyone not in a car seems out of place.

[mtraininjax]

Just two days ago, on Beach Blvd. two pedestrians were attempting to cross mid-block from Staples to the K-Mart across 6 lanes of traffic. It was insane but in a way, I understand how it happens.

There are probably more deaths and accidents reported on Beach from people who do not take the time to walk 10 more feet to a crosswalk and instead take their life into their own hands and cross wherever is most convenient for them. Over here around UNF and FSCJ, the students and younger folks don't use the common sense that the person upstairs gave them. There is nothing THAT important to warrant running out in front of vehicles travelling 50, 60, and yes, sometimes faster.  I had 2 people just west of the intersection of Beach and St. Johns Bluff Road, dart out in front of my car because they had to get to Walgreen's a bit faster than waiting for the light.