What cities can do about pedestrian accidents

If you've spent much time walking in uptown Charlotte, you're likely troubled but not surprised by the pair of pedestrian accidents this week at the intersection of College and Stonewall.

Most of us have seen our share of close calls, heard the honking of drivers' horns, chuckled at the subsequent gestures flung back by pedestrians. But what's happened at College and Stonewall is a sobering reminder of what busy urban traffic can bring.

On Tuesday, Wells Fargo executive Brett Morgan was walking legally in the crosswalk across South College Street when he was struck and killed by a dump truck turning right in the rain and fog. This morning brought the same kind of accident, again in rain and fog, though thankfully without serious injuries.

Almost 5,000 pedestrians a year are killed in accidents across the United States, and tens of thousands more are injured. Some of the incidents come from cars not stopping - or even slowing - to see a pedestrian with the right of way in the crosswalk. Sometimes, pedestrians are to blame for scooting through crosswalks even when the traffic signal blinks no.

Charlotte Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Durrett tells the Observer today that city engineers are meeting to discuss the Stonewall/College intersection, which the city has studied after looking at crash data over a number of years. She said she'll have an update later today.

What can cities do? If the crosswalk has the appropriate signals, as Stonewall/College does, the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends looking at intersections for potential design improvements. The crosswalk in question is more angular than most - does that create potential vision issues for approaching cars? If so, the stop line could be moved further back from the intersection to give drivers a better look.

U.S. DOT also recommends signs at or before crosswalks to remind drivers that pedestrians have the right of way. For particularly dangerous intersections, cities can consider in-pavement lights to alert motorists that a pedestrian is crossing. That's an expense, but given the heavy pedestrian traffic coming from the Stonewall rail station, it could be a worthy investment for the city.

Other cities with similar problems have embarked on public information campaigns about crosswalk dangers. A recent example is Chicago, which kicked off a "One of 32" campaign in December by placing black mannequins at 32 spots across the city to remember 32 pedestrians killed in the previous year. The city also is installing bright red street crossing flags at intersections that pedestrians can grab and display when crossing a street, then place in a bin on the other side.

All of which may not matter, of course, if a rushed or careless driver turns into a crosswalk without looking. We've asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police if they'll be putting an increased emphasis on the College and Stonewall intersection - or any other uptown intersections. We hope so. We'll let you know what they say.

Until then, the best advice is the most obvious: Whether you're behind the wheel or walking the pavement, be attentive out there.

Peter St. Onge