Today's Date: March 28, 2024
EIG’s MidOcean Energy Completes Acquisition of Tokyo Gas’ Interests in Portfolio of Australian Integrated LNG Projec   •   Stora Enso publishes Green and Sustainability-Linked Financing Report 2023   •   Guo Guangchang: "Focus on building sustainable, predictable and enterprise with stable profit growth "   •   Chris Diehl Returns to 101 Mobility as Director of National Accounts   •   Netcracker Continues Its Support of the U.S. Paralympic Ski and Snowboard Team at Adaptive Spirit 2024   •   Parental avoidance of toxic exposures could help prevent autism, ADHD in children, new study shows   •   Nutrex-Hawaii Introduces Its #1 Selling BioAstin® Hawaiian Astaxanthin® in a Retail-Ready, Sugar-Free, Vegan Gummy Forma   •   Latest U.S. Soybean Field Trials by Texas Crop Science Deliver Average Yield Increase of More Than 20%   •   Clean Energy Appoints Patrick J. Ford to Board of Directors   •   Avnos and Deep Sky Forge Path to Gigaton-Scale Carbon Removal in Canada   •   Fox Lake Grade School District 114 Selects Varsity Tutors for Schools to Provide Students with Additional Learning Resources   •   The Home Depot Announces Agreement to Acquire SRS Distribution, a Leading Specialty Trade Distributor Across Multiple Verticals;   •   Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Palantir Partner to Create Safe Conditions for In-Person Education in Schools   •   3EO Health Announces the First Point of Care Molecular Test Under $15   •   Lenzing strives to drive beneficial transformation across the value chain   •   Government of Canada signs two bilateral agreements with Quebec to support initiatives to improve health care   •   PRIVATE SCHOOL VILLAGE (PSV) AWARDS INAUGURAL ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS   •   Cardinal Tobin Blesses New Open-Air Mausoleum of the Holy Spirit Site   •   Apogee Enterprises Schedules Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call   •   The Lenserf Group Launches Emotional Intelligence Academy for HBCU Interns
Bookmark and Share

Minority Pedestrians Disproportionately Killed In California Accidents

 
SAB FRANCISCO - It is dangerous to be a pedestrian in California, particularly so for minorities and the elderly, according to a report released this week by the Transportation for America coalition, New America Media reports.

California is ranked 16th in the nation in the report’s Pedestrian Danger Index, and this danger is primarily shouldered by non-whites and people over 65. Hispanic pedestrians have a 97% higher chance of being killed by cars than non-Hispanic whites, and African Americans have an 83% higher pedestrian death rate than non-Hispanic whites in the state, according to the report. 

Nationally, older pedestrians are twice as likely to be killed walking, but in California their risk is triple this national average, making the state 3rd in the nation in terms of fatalities for pedestrians over 65.

The reasons for this imbalance are varied. In many cases, fatalities are blamed on poor roads and infrastructure, which is often a particularly pronounced problem in poorer non-white neighborhoods. Nearly 40% of fatalities occur where no crosswalk is available.

Seniors often have trouble getting across busy streets with short signals. “Major roads are made for speeding cars, and seniors have a hard time crossing in time for the light, so we are more likely to be hit,” said Karen Smulevitz of United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County, according to a press release issued by the Oakland citizen advocacy group Walk Oakland Bike Oakland.

About 6,960 pedestrians have been killed walking in California between 2000 and 2009, by far the largest share occuring in Los Angeles County, with 2,079 pedestrian fatalities during the period.

Bay Area residents are taking notice. “Pedestrian safety was a top concern raised at seven town hall meetings throughout Oakland, where we met with more than 2,000 residents over the past few months,” said Oakland Mayor Jean Quan in the press release. “It’s clear that people want to walk safely in every neighborhood, regardless of age or race,” she added. 

The Contra Costa Times put together an interactive ‘Dangerous Intersections Map,’ (Link: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8110654?nclick_check=1) covered with red markers, where anyone can warn other Bay Area walkers of trouble spots. Among dozens of intersections listed on the map is San Pablo and 55th street in Oakland, where pedestrians venture across five lanes of traffic with no light.

To confront this problem, the coalition proposes several solutions in their report, including maintaining federal funding for transportation programs, refurbishing roads and holding states accountable for pedestrian hazards.

To reduce pedestrian risk, the city of Oakland has added 600 new curb ramps around town this past year and has targeted particular at-risk intersections for renovations, such as Adeline and 18th street, situated near a library, school, park, senior center and low income housing.

Oakland has also installed several high visibility crosswalks, called ‘scrambled systems,’ in the city’s Chinatown district, where, between light changes, traffic is halted in all directions and large red arrows prohibit cars from making turns. The crosswalks, painted with red and yellow floral patterns, allow pedestrians to cross between all four corners and even diagonally across the street. 

The project was part of a larger effort to revitalize the Chinatown district and the crosswalks were intended to demonstrate Oakland's desire "to put pedestrians first," said Oakland Public Works spokeswoman Kristine Shaff. "We do believe that it is safer and that it has been a positive strategy in that area over time," she said.

Jonathan Bair, a Board Member of Walk Oakland, Bike Oakland agrees. “It’s a good design, it’s good for pedestrians and we’d like to see those systems all over the city,” he said.


STORY TAGS: Black News, African American News, Minority News, Civil Rights News, Discrimination, Racism, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality, Afro American News, Hispanic News, Latino News, Mexican News, Minority News, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Racism, Diversity, Latina, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality

Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News