4/6/2023 0 Comments Las vegas traffic![]() “It’s easy to send police out and feel like you’re solving a problem,” Schmitt says. Ting cited the 2018 killing of Chinedu Okobi, a Black pedestrian Tased and beaten by police officers during a jaywalking stop, and heavy fines as evidence of the bill’s urgency. In March, California State Assemblymember Phil Ting, who represents part of San Francisco, introduced the Freedom to Walk Act (AB1238), which would legalize safe crossings against the traffic light or outside the crosswalk, and eliminate jaywalking fines. “As long as jaywalking was a primary offense, it was going to be a big source of harassment,” Peter Norton, associate professor of history in the University of Virginia’s Department of Engineering and Society, told NBC 12.ĭecriminalization is also being considered in California. The change also reduces unnecessary interaction with the police. On March 1, the state of Virginia decriminalized jaywalking and reclassified it as a secondary offense - meaning people won’t be ticketed unless they’re violating another law. Enforcement is often racially biased, and many people jaywalk because streets don’t have accessible crosswalks in the first place. “ are punishing the individual for a systemic problem,” Schmitt says. She places part of the blame on herself for having worn all black at the time of her accident.īut advocates warn that the cause - and not just the symptoms - must be treated.Īngie Schmitt, former national editor at Streetsblog and author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Crisis of Pedestrian Deaths in America, says programs like PedSAFE are useful for reducing fines, but in general, she doesn’t see the value in enforcing jaywalking laws. She’s unsure if the driver who hit her was ordered to take the course too. “I think all people should be required to take this course to get a driver’s license,” she said, citing “wear bright-colored clothes” as a safety tip she had never thought about. As part of the settlement, Mihalik was required to attend the PedSAFE pedestrian safety course. PedSAFE typically serves 100 to 200 people per month, but with traffic court closed due to the pandemic (felony charges are still being seen), fewer violations are being enforced and attendance is down to 25 people per month.Īfter Mihalik’s accident, her attorney and the driver ended up settling the case. According to data provided by PedSAFE, most people who leave the course have a better understanding of pedestrian safety and pedestrian rights. ![]() ![]() More than 2,800 people have graduated from the course since 2017. At the end, in addition to having their pedestrian tickets dismissed, participants receive reflective vests and slap bands. ![]() Taught three times a month by Breen herself (and once a month in Spanish), the free course addresses case studies and historical data on pedestrian crashes, provides an overview of local laws, and offers do’s and don’ts for walkers, bikers, and drivers. The program, previously held in person and now online because of the pandemic, allows people to dismiss pedestrian-related citations and fines - as a walker or driver - by sitting in a three-hour educational course. It operates autonomously under the Vulnerable Road Users Project in the Transportation Research Center at UNLV and works with local courts and law enforcement. That’s why Breen and Laura Gryder, project director at the UNLV School of Medicine, teamed up in 2017 to create PedSAFE, an organization that teaches pedestrian safety classes. “A lot of times when you hand them a ticket, you are handing them a warrant for their arrest,” Breen said. And in a state where traffic infractions are considered misdemeanors, a jaywalking violation can cost nearly $250 in fines and could even land you in jail. In the Las Vegas metro, the people most likely to walk as a primary mode of transportation tend to be low-income. This pedestrian-unfriendly environment also exacerbates inequality. Even with recent infrastructure improvements in Clark County, “we still kill a stupid amount of pedestrians,” she said. Wide lanes make drivers more comfortable speeding, Breen explained. And Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas metro area, recorded 78 pedestrian deaths in 2017- the highest in county history.Įrin Breen, traffic safety coalition coordinator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the built environment was constructed for vehicles, not people.Ī typical Las Vegas intersection is nine lanes long, and a standard street is 120 feet at minimum. In Mihalik’s case, Nevada is ranked eleventh in pedestrian fatalities, according to a report by Smart Growth America. Walking can be dangerous, depending where you live.
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