Pedestrian fatality rates vary by demographic: The chilling facts about pedestrian fatalities reveal that certain groups are much more likely than others to be injured or killed while walking. As reported on Streetsblog.com, a report by the Centers for Disease Control found that members of certain groups, including the elderly, minorities, and males in general, are killed by vehicles in disproportionate numbers.
Pedestrian crossing behavior may be influenced by culture: There appears to be a cultural split in pedestrian crossing habits along the Eastern and Western hemispheres. In a recent study, researchers observed pedestrians crossing at similar intersections (in terms of size and traffic flow) in both Strasbourg, France, and Inuyama, Japan. Pedestrians at a signalized intersection in the French city crossed when the light was red 60% more of the time than did pedestrians at the signalized intersection in Inuyama. At an unmarked crossing, pedestrians in Strasbourg were found to require fewer seconds between passing cars before they deemed it safe to cross. According to Eric Jaffe at The Atlantic Cities, the research suggests that the higher willingness of Westerners to take risks extends to pedestrian crossing behavior.
Bike share to stay off Philly sidewalks: Out of the extensive study surrounding the bike share program proposed for Philadelphia comes some good news for pedestrians–the city’s sidewalks have been completely ruled out as potential locations for bike share kiosks. This tidbit and much more will be included in a report on the project’s implementation that the city plans to release sometime next month. Read more about accommodating bike share in Philadelphia in this Inquirer article by Inga Saffron.
Love your Park Week kicks off tomorrow, May 11th. More details here.
The Food Trust’s first Night Market event of 2013 is this Thursday, May 16th, in Fairmount. For event information, click here.
Feet First Philly 