WHEREAS, Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of pedestrian traffic fatalities of its peer cities in the United States. From 2009-2013 children under 18 comprised 12.7% of all pedestrian traffic deaths in Philadelphia. During this same time period, the City’s pedestrian fatalities increased over 15% at a time when automobile fatalities declined almost 15%; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 100 children are killed in the U.S. annually as they make their way to and from school, and some 21,000 students are injured from incidents in school zones. The primary factor in these events is speeding; and
WHEREAS, According to a Churchill Insurance Study 46% of drivers say they are most likely to have no recollection of how they got to their destination during “autopilot journeys,” those regular trips on familiar routes. In addition, one in six drivers are distracted, mostly due to cell phone use; and
WHEREAS, Combining these driver behaviors with children’s actions commonly associated with school zone injuries—darting into traffic, crossing in front of or behind buses or other vehicles, playing in roadways, crossing an intersection or multi-lane roadway— further increases the probability of tragedy in these areas; and
WHEREAS, The primary purpose of traffic calming is to support the livability and vitality of communities by reducing vehicle speeds or volumes on a single street or a street network. Traffic calming measures consist of horizontal, vertical, lane narrowing, roadside, and other features that use self-enforcing physical or psycho-perception means to produce desired effects; and
WHEREAS, Traffic calming has helped to increase the quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural areas by reducing automobile speeds and traffic volumes on neighborhood streets and aid in creating a sense of place for communities; and
WHEREAS, Many of Philadelphia’s schools and child care centers are located near busy streets and intersections, making it imperative that the city explore strategies to address d
river behaviors that pose a threat to children; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
,
Authorizes the Joint Committees on Streets and Services and Public Safety to hold hearings on the implementation of traffic calming plans around Philadelphia’s schools and child care centers.
End