as NBC 5 investigates As a previous report found, Dallas has the highest traffic fatality rate of any U.S. city with a population of over 1 million people. Last year, about four people died in car crashes each week in Dallas, and another 23 were seriously injured.
We wondered what would happen if Dallas more aggressively implemented Vision Zero, the safety strategy the City Council wants to use to create safer streets and reduce traffic fatalities. With that solution in mind, NBC 5 investigates Senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Most weeks, no one was killed in a traffic accident here, and the city credits Vision Zero with saving lives.
Approximately four people are killed in traffic accidents each week within the Dallas metropolitan area, and another 23 are seriously injured. Dallas, a city of more than 1 million people, has the highest traffic fatality rate of any American city, according to an investigative report from NBC 5. To find a solution, senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman explores a city where accidents rarely cause fatalities.
Alberta is sometimes called the “Texas of the North.” This region is similar to ours and is known for oil production, pickup his trucks, rodeos, big cities, and ranches. However, in recent years, Edmonton has successfully reduced the number of traffic fatalities and injuries through aggressive traffic safety strategies.
Although the Dallas metropolitan area is larger than Edmonton, the two cities themselves are similar in size, with Edmonton's population of approximately 1.1 million and Dallas' population of approximately 1.3 million. Last year, only 14 people died in traffic accidents in Edmonton, compared to 228 in Dallas.
So maybe Dallas can learn a thing or two from this Canadian town. It's a place that could resemble the Land of Oz, where crosswalks can be placed diagonally.
Diagonal crosswalks, known as scramble crosswalks, allow pedestrians to cross diagonally from corner to corner of the road or across the middle of the road. Traffic engineers programmed the traffic lights to temporarily stop cars in all directions, temporarily allowing pedestrians to make the most of the intersection. Right turns will also be temporarily prohibited to prevent drivers from hitting people at crosswalks.
The City of Edmonton is installing scramble crosswalks in areas where pedestrians have been injured or killed in crashes.At a scramble crosswalk NBC 5 investigatesCity Traffic Engineer Tazrul Islam said there had been no crashes involving pedestrians at the crosswalk in the two years since it was installed.
Scrambled crosswalks are just one part of the Vision Zero plan adopted by the City of Edmonton in 2015. Over the next six years, the city announced a 50% reduction in traffic fatalities and a 30% reduction in serious injuries. When you ask a city leader how he achieved these reductions, his answer often includes his one word: data.
Edmonton's Vision Zero team uses data to first identify where people are most injured and killed, then implement measures ranging from high-tech traffic enforcement to radical street redesigns. Use them to attack those locations.
In some areas, city leaders have removed lanes to slow drivers down. The extra space can be used to create bike or pedestrian lanes in high-traffic areas.
In areas where there are many pedestrians, roads are narrowed to slow traffic speeds. From a safety standpoint, Ryan Karsztyk, the city's director of neighborhood planning, said narrower roads improve people's line of sight and drivers instinctively slow down when entering narrower areas. Stated. Edmonton city officials said it may be more effective at reducing speeds than simply lowering the speed limit, but some drivers may still ignore it.
If the city can't immediately build a narrow road in a problem area, traffic engineers use temporary tools to extend the curb into the roadway, creating a narrower space for cars. City officials say these temporary curb extensions can be installed in one day.
Rupesh Patel, Manager of Safe Mobility for the City of Edmonton, said: “This curb extension makes the road narrower, and people have a subconscious feeling that, “Okay, there's something going on here, so let's slow down.'' It's just a little bit more awareness.”
These curb extensions have come in handy in Paul Cuyler's neighborhood, on a street locals call “Speedway.”
“There were a lot of casualties on this road because of speed,” Kyler said.
Kyler worked with Edmonton's Street Lab program, which connects neighbors and families with city traffic engineers. Temporary curb extensions were initially installed in his neighborhood as a test.
“We will listen to their concerns and then work with them to implement traffic calming measures,” Patel said.
Once enough data has been collected about temporary measures, the city will consider pouring concrete curb extensions to make long-term changes to the roadway's shape.
“Once we get enough feedback to see how it works and if it works, we introduce a more permanent solution and we're actually getting here,” Kyler said. Ta.
Permanent concrete curb extensions can be seen across Edmonton that shorten the distance pedestrians have to cross streets, but they also encourage slower speeds near intersections and give drivers the feeling they're entering a narrow space. I'll give it. The city is also raising many crosswalks to make them easier for drivers to see, and is even working with school children to paint crosswalks in school zones bright colors to increase visibility.
“It's also popular with the community because when drivers approach the crosswalk, they can see it from a distance,” Patel said.
But reshaping and redesigning roads is only part of the plan.
Neon yellow speed cameras are slowing drivers down in areas where crashes are most common. A peace officer monitors from inside the truck, an on-board radar automatically measures speed, a camera takes a photo of the speeder, and a ticket is mailed.
“We want people to slow down immediately, right?” City of Edmonton Traffic Safety Coordinator Fran Mawson Dalmer said of the yellow truck. “This is a really great tool that has proven its effectiveness year after year for our Vision Zero strategy.”
According to the city, collisions have decreased by more than 30% on roads where trucks are used. Local laws in Alberta and City of Edmonton policy allow for use only in limited locations with a history of collisions, and those locations must be made public in advance. In Texas, such cameras are not allowed because state law prohibits automated traffic enforcement.
“That's why our cars are bright yellow, right? We're not hiding behind trees, we're out. What people see is we want them to slow down. ,” Mawsondalmer said.
Automated speed enforcement vehicles also assist law enforcement agencies, saving time by reducing the need for traffic stops that can sometimes lead to dangerous interactions with drivers.
Still, as you might imagine, not all Edmonton residents were thrilled with the idea of reducing traffic. City Councilman Andrew Knack said city leaders have faced opposition, especially when they voted to lower speed limits citywide.
“There was fear that traffic would come to a standstill,” Knack said. But city engineers have answered those concerns with data showing that while most drivers barely notice an extra minute or two on their commute, slowing down can reduce the number of deaths. Ta. Knack said he hears little criticism now that the floor is in place.
“Almost everyone came forward and realized how much better and safer their local community was because of it,” Knack said.
“Nobody likes change, but at the end of the day, if you get results and actually feel extra safe, it's worth it,” Kyler said.
What Edmontonians Said NBC 5 investigates That means all that data not only helps you solve problems, but it's also an important tool for getting people to buy into your Vision Zero strategy.
They say the numbers are strong, showing that things like the odd-looking crosswalk are contributing to fewer injuries and deaths.
“When you tell the story behind the story of how it saves lives and protects them, people understand why we're doing this,” Tazle said. Ta.
Edmonton is committing money and staff to make Vision Zero work. They have a full-time group focused on this plan and are investing approximately $180 million Canadian dollars a year to redevelop the district with a focus on Vision Zero.
In Dallas, the City Council has so far allocated only about $1.7 million initially for Vision Zero, and most of the staff involved in the project have been assigned other duties. The Dallas Department of Transportation is hoping for more funding after next year's bond election.as NBC 5 investigates Dallas officials reported that it took nearly three years to develop the Vision Zero plan, and most of the action items scheduled for 2023 have been completed with just eight weeks left this year. , had not been started.
In addition to not being able to use automated traffic enforcement, Dallas faces other challenges. As we previously reported, some of Dallas' most crash-prone roads are also state highways, which means the city needs to convince the Texas Department of Transportation to help rebuild these roads. It means something.
The following report explains why some safety advocates are concerned that TxDOT's policies will become a roadblock to safer streets in Dallas.
