On The Move Campaign
The Pedestrian Safety Review Board (PSRB) has launched a new initiative called “On the Move” that will focus on the roles and responsibilities of pedestrians, drivers, and passengers as they “move” from one location to another throughout Macon-Bibb County. The initiative is being funded by a $20,785 grant from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Media Coverage
Pedestrian Safety Review Board
announcing new safety initiative (Macon-Bibb)
New pedestrian safety education campaign beginning (Macon-Bibb)
Highway safety board begins
pedestrian safety campaign in Macon (13WMAZ)
Pedestrian Safety Review Board takes its
safety education campaign to the streets (WGXA)
The Board is Not Alone!
Meeting each month, the Board establishes a forum for the sheriff’s department, health department, county schools, traffic engineers, facilities management, planning and zoning, elected officials, AARP, and concerned citizens to develop strategies for creating a safer environment for pedestrians. There are also several local and state organizations working to create safer, more active streets and roads in Macon-Bibb County. Some of their 2016 initiatives are included in the toggle below:
initiatives
- Road Safety Audits of Eisenhower Parkway and Emery Highway conducted by GDOT and county staff in January and June.
- Open Streets Macon, which closed College Street to cars and opened it to people to play, walk, bike, breathe, and make their own for one afternoon. Held in April and planned for November (organized by the Urban Development Authority and Bike Macon).
- The Bibb County Board of Health endorsed Vision Zero as a strategy for creating safer streets in April.
- The Macon-Bibb County Commission endorsed and supported Vision Zero as a strategy for creating safer streets in May.
- Presentations by internationally renowned active communities advocate Gil Penalosa of 8-80 Cities. Organized by the Urban Development Authority, NewTown Macon, 8-80 Cities, and others, the forums in June inspired community leaders and shared strategies used by cities around the world to create active communities.
- The Georgia Walks Summit this June was the first statewide conference dedicated to creating more walkable communities. The Summit brought over 100 traffic engineers, planners, public health and pedestrian advocates from around the state to Macon to share ideas for improving pedestrian safety (organized by GDOT and PEDS).
- Macon-Bibb County Pedestrian Summit, planned for August 16, the summit is dedicated to defining the county’s pedestrian safety concerns and laying out strategies for making our community safer (organized by the Pedestrian Fatality Review Board and the County Department of Health).
- Complete Streets training organized by Middle Georgia Regional Commission and Georgia Bikes this training will introduce road design concepts that can help Macon-Bibb County create an equitable, safe, and efficient multi-modal transportation network.
- Macon Connects this two day event in September, organized by NewTown Macon and 8-80 Cities, will provide a temporary pedestrian and bicycling grid fully connecting downtown Macon and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail.
- Macon-Bibb Sidewalk Initiative Parks & Beautification Department in Macon-Bibb County is responsible in developing and managing the sidewalks in our county. It is realized that sidewalks play a vital role in city life. As a conduit for pedestrian movement and access, they enhance connectivity and promote walking. As public spaces, sidewalks serve as the front steps to the city, activating streets socially and economically. Safe, accessible, and well-maintained sidewalks are a fundamental and necessary investment for cities, and have been shown to enhance general public health and maximize social capital.
Building on Community Successes
While the Board is working to become an organizing focal point for many pedestrian improvement efforts, it is not starting from scratch in its efforts to make walking the safest, most accessible, and most healthful form of transportation in the county. Community master plans like the Macon Action Plan and the College Hill Corridor Master Plan are helping the community envision more pedestrian and bicycle friendly development in downtown and have helped guide substantial pedestrian improvements in and around Tattnall Square Park and Mercer Village. The downtown’s newest gateway project, the Second Street Corridor, includes sidewalks and an 8-foot multi-use path and is now graced by a new pedestrian bridge at Stadium Drive. And, new speed humps and flashing lights have been added on Ingleside Avenue to help protect pedestrians.
The first Pedestrian Safety Summit was held in Government Center on August 16, and the community was invited to learn about the creation and goals of the Committee, hear about the current issues with pedestrian safety based on real data, get a roads assessment by the Georgia Department of Transportation, and learn about some of the solutions being discussed and implemented.
Presentations were given from a variety of organizations on the need for and solutions to improving Macon-Bibb’s roadways, and those can be seen to the right.
Who is on the Board?
Members of the Macon-Bibb County Pedestrian Safety Review Board include:
- Greg Brown, Chairman – MBC Planning & Zoning
- Rachel Umana, Vice Chair – Bike Walk Macon
- Elaine Lucas – Commissioner
- Michael Ryan – Citizen
- Lieutenant Scott Davis – Bibb County Sheriff
- Major Brad Wolfe – Bibb County Sheriff
- Dr. Henry Ficklin – MBC Dept Of Community Affairs
- Nigel Floyd – Traffic Engineering
- Robert Ryals – Facilities Management
- Myrtle Habersham – Aarp Georgia Exec Council
- Charise Stephens – MBC Small Business Affairs
- Molly Wilkins – St. Peter Claver Catholic School
- David Gowan – Risk Management B.O.E./Health Department
- Ron Wildman – Citizen
NON-MEMBERS:
- Tom Ellington – Vision Zero Liasion
- Bob Dallas – Consultant
- Kevin Poss – Facilities Management
- Taylor Stickels – Regional Commission
- Tonya Mathis – Health Department
- Veronica Dumas-dewberry – Health Department
- Megan Mcintosh – Health Department
- Alesha Cooke – Health Department
- Adrianna Beavers – Mbc Assistant County Attorney
Board Accomplishments
In just over a year, the Board has:
- Started an education campaign to help encourage pedestrians to use crosswalks;
- Hired a consultant to help the county consider Vision Zero strategies to reduce traffic fatalities;
- Planned the first Macon-Bibb County Pedestrian Safety Summit for August 16, 2016;
- Developed a list of potential SPLOST projects that provide sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian safety improvements at high risk locations; and,
- Begun improving data collection and mapping of high collision and dangerous roadways and intersections.