“Slow down and save lives”
Transportation Advocacy Day is on February 10th and it’s a can’t-miss opportunity to meet in Olympia to learn about legislative issues, meet with your legislators and network with other advocates.
There are some great bills this year that will positively impact transportation choices in our state. HB 1071 is designed to give grants to municipalities that have passed Complete Streets ordinances; HB 1129 mandates all driver education schools in the state to teach the Washington State Department of Licensing's approved curriculum for safe driving around bicyclists and pedestrians. One of my favorites is HB 1217: “Slow Down, Save Lives.” It provides protection for bicyclists and pedestrians by allowing local jurisdictions to set blanket 20 mph speed limits on non-arterial streets in residential and business districts. As it stands now, this law is extremely limited - with the exception of school zones.
When Valencia Street in San Francisco lowered the speed limit- granted they also slimmed travel lanes to accommodate other users- merchants reported an increase in sales by 40 percent. To me, it’s an enhancement, making our street network more safe and appealing for residents and visitors. And it’s good for retail and development.
But this is really about safety.
According to the Bicycle Alliance, Twenty-mile-per-hour (or 30 k/hr) zones are widespread in European cities, where studies have proven their effectiveness at saving lives. British researchers concluded that 20 mph zones in London had saved 200 lives a year there. In addition, 20 mph zones reduce cyclist injuries by 17 percent, the researchers said.
The reason is simple physics: all other things being equal, both stopping distance and force of impact increase as the square of speed. A vehicle traveling at 40 mph will strike a pedestrian with four times more force than a vehicle traveling at 20 mph. (See above graph.)
I hope you’ll join me in supporting this bill. Make sure your voice is heard and register for Transportation Advocacy Day online HERE.
WHEN: February 10, 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
WHERE: United Churches, 110 11th Avenue SE, Olympia
