Support for Mean Streets 2004

 "The heavy mix of motor vehicles and people on foot should not be a lethal combination, and crossing the street should not be a death defying act," said Maryland Delegate Bill Bronrott (District 16, Montgomery County).  "It’s time for motorists to give pedestrians a brake and time for government to invest a major infusion of funds into making our communities safe, livable and walkable."

Honorable William Bronrott, State Delegate, Maryland General Assembly    (District 16- Montgomery County)
Contact: Bill Bronrott (301) 652-6016

“Pedestrian safety is a critically important issue for all of us. Salt Lake City has demonstrated that with creativity, innovation and tenacity every community can dramatically increase the safety of pedestrians.  We have installed orange pedestrian crossing flags at crosswalks making pedestrians more visible to motorists. We have implemented a comprehensive pedestrian safety education campaign. We have increased enforcement of pedestrian safety laws.  These measures have saved lives and improved safety throughout our city.  The tools for increasing pedestrian safety are accessible and affordable.  All that is required is the commitment and leadership in our communities to make the safety of pedestrians a priority.”

Honorable Rocky Anderson, Mayor, Salt Lake City
          Media contact: Deeda Seed (801) 535-7739

 “Millions of people walk to a train station or bus stop each day,” said American Public Transportation Association President William W. Millar. “They deserve a safe walking environment to protect them on their daily commute.”

William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association
Media contact:  Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816

 “AARP believes that ensuring mobility is essential to health and independent living for older persons, wherever they live.  In this new century, we have a responsibility to make safe mobility a priority and fully embrace walking as a mobility option that is integral with the transportation network.”

Dr. Byron Thames, M.D., AARP Board of Directors
          Media contact: Nancy Thompson (202) 434-2560

“There’s more to do, but we are making a commitment totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to pedestrian and bicycle needs in our Transportation 2030 Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area.”

Honorable Steve Kinsey, President, Marin County Board of Supervisors, and Chairman, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Media contact: Randy Rentschler (510) 464-7700

"Mean streets are produced by dumb growth, and while we see smart growth in all of our 50 states, too much growth continues to be both dumb and unsafe.  Our planners have the expertise to produce smart and safe growth, but we need transportation funding at the federal, state and local levels that focuses investments that will make our streets safer and more livable.  Pedestrian mortality rates are at epidemic levels and our response needs to be appropriate.”

Paul Farmer, AICP, Executive Director, American Planning Association
         Media contact: Denny Johnson (202) 349-1006

 “Years ago, we all walked to school, to the store, to the park, or to a friend’s house. Today, we are often unable to walk anywhere safely, because many communities are designed only for car travel.  Engineering the daily physical activity out of our lives has fueled the obesity epidemic and affects our aging population in particular, which relies heavily on walking to access transit and other services. As landscape architects, working with developers and public officials, we can design safe and accessible pedestrian components back into our communities.”

Patrick A. Miller Ph.D., FASLA, President, American Society of Landscape Architects
Media contact: Dan Sullivan (202) 216-2371

  "Healthy communities depend on safe, walkable streets, but almost 5,000 pedestrians are killed every year.  We must do better than spending only 82 cents per person on pedestrian safety."

Eric Olson, Challenge to Sprawl Campaign, Sierra Club
Media contact: (202) 675-7915