Friday, April 8, 2016

Media's Public Safety ** Deserves More** Than An Awareness Campaign!

Based on last week’s Public Safety meeting agenda, that included a line item petition for traffic calming; I was interested to find out more about that.  My main concerns, along with those who actually signed the petition, was what did the Public Safety committee have proposed that wasn’t already attempted?  Vehicles (and bikers) for the most part roll through Media’s stop-signs with impunity and have been for years.  Truthfully, it’s almost brash, to the point that motorists don’t even tap the brakes to slow down anymore.  As for speeding, I’m only now take notices when someone actually does the speed limit anymore.  Check out 6th Street, between 7 and 8am.

March agenda items
The meeting went on for about 90 minutes and was run well by Council Vice President, Paul Robinson.  Aside from the bike path agenda item, it was snappy, organized and kept on track. I usually don’t attend these meetings because they ‘swirl’ too much, but Paul got through this well.  I appreciate that.

Aside from myself, there were two other residents in the audience.  I thought there would have been more since someone took the time to organize a petition.

Well, what came out of the 20 or so minute discussion wasn’t groundbreaking, new, or something that hasn’t been tried before:  It centered on public awareness, or perhaps more to the point, a behavioral change campaign.  I have a few problems with that strategy: It doesn’t and hasn’t worked.   It also wasn’t defined, aside from the Media Police Department buying yard signs, as to how a campaign would be setup, paid for, implemented, promoted and measured.  

Nobody is consciously thinking about a traffic calming campaign they saw when blowing through a Monroe Street stop signed.  However, a hefty fine will.   Although I did think the following ad shown above was clever in promoting pedestrian safety,  I doubt it has much effective after a day.

If Media Borough can give out $1,000,000 gifts, high-risk unsecured loans, and potentially ~$40,000 for sharrows,  then it could, if it was serious, research what it would cost to increase police patrols.  Even marginally may have a noticeable impact. It could also see what hefty fines could be imposed for offenders.  A $300 ticket for rolling through a stop sign ought to get the word out quick.  What about stop-sign cameras?  They were so successful in California that they brought windfalls of revenue to the municipalities that used them. 




12 comments:

  1. A few months back I was behind someone on Monrow, from Wawa to 252. They were doing 10 MPH the whole way, but barely tapping the breaks at the stops. I'm not sure what they were thinking.

    Honestly though, I'm torn here. Is speeding and rolling through stop signs really worthy when people are pulling guns out in front of an elementary school? Aren't there bigger concerns? As a frequent pedestrian in Media, I find the number of poorly maintained, trip-hazard sidewalks of more concern to me than the stop sign compliance level.

    Don't get me wrong, EXCESSIVE speeding and IGNORING stop signs must not be tolerated, but most of our streets have enough visibility that a slow roll meets the intent, if not letter of the law.

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    1. Way to make a one time incident sound like gun swinging maniacs have taken over the town. And while we are at it let's all give you a pat on the back for slowing down at stop signs! Just as good as a full stop! LOLZ

      I walk my dogs in the borough every day, and I can tell you that having a gun pulled on me isn't on my Top 10 List of Concerns, but #1 would be getting hit by a car doing a slow roll through a stop sign...totally oblivious to everything around them and not even considering that, "hey! there might be actual people, other than myself, out and about."

      If you are so put out by someone who dares go under the speed limit for 8 blocks, and you can not be bothered to take 3 seconds to STOP sign, something that as a society we have come up with as a way to keep down insurance rates and pedestrian death count, then maybe driving isn't for you.

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  2. So wait, now we're going to pick and choose what laws are the important ones to enforce? What and who defines "excessive" when speeding? The law is the law. "Stop" means stop. 25mph means 25mph. What is so confusing?

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    1. Actually the PA General Assembly gets to set the definition of "excessive." Surprisingly in PA that's 31 MPH over the limit. Personally, I'd call 35 in a 25 excessive, but that's not the law. Generally, there is no ticket for 0-5 over, and 6-10 over may or may not be ticketed based on the driver's record.

      What's really confusing is the naivete apparent in asserting all laws deserve equal enforcement.

      What kind of idiot steps into a street when a car is coming without first making sure the car will stop? Yes, they are required to stop, but let's take some personal accountability for our own safety. See the "Street Smart" poster Tedman attached.

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    2. I love the skewed thought processes being used to justify blowing a stop sign: Slowing down is as good as a stop.. It's the pedestrian's fault for being a pedestrian ... This law isn't as important as that law. Everyone wants the other guy to take personal accountability so they don't have to admit that mayyyyyybe it's they who are the idiot.

      As a pedestrian, I stop. I make eye contact. And what I get back is glares at being made to wait as they inch through the intersection. If I'm lucky they don't floor it when I'm halfway across the road as they let me know just how inconvenienced they were. I'm just trying to walk my dogs without getting killed, man.

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    3. Always surprising, even a relief when you're in certain states where cars are required by law to yield to pedestrians.

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  3. BIG FINES? Local Ordinaces can't supersede the State Motor vehicle code and associated fines. Ordinaces are inacted in the absence of a State law/regulation not on place of. Traffic calming devices work, but require a traffic study and if the study substantiates the need the construction costs are significant. The route of focusing on awareness is a good first step and if followed up with enforcement should address most concerns.

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  4. In Conshohocken they've installed small signs under the STOP signs that read along the lines of:

    Full stops: FREE
    Rolling stops: $147.60
    Sincerely, Conshohocken Police Dept.

    I can tell you that these DO make people stop at the signs, because people see the notice, recognize that it's something different, and read it. I'm not sure how long they work on drivers who pass them every day, but if the threat of a fine was backed up with an ACTUAL fine I'm sure they'd get the message pretty fast!

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  5. Increased police presence seems to be the only solution. Drive anywhere in upstate NY (small towns) and you'll see everyone obeys the speed limit.

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  6. When are we going to hear anything from Robinson on this and what was the petition about?

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  7. The "Problem" is being exaggerated. There is greater compliance with speed limits and stops here than in many other neighborhoods. If there is a particularly bad intersection complain to the police chief; go to council if that fails to gain action. Has anyone tried actually talking to the police, or are we just assuming the Mayor and council micro-manage patrol allocations??

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    1. The "Problem" is being exaggerated? Were the people who signed the petition for such "Problem" also just exaggerating? Particular bad intersection? Do you live in Media, PA? How about Monroe and 3rd St, 4th, 5th or 6th around 5pm? Go to council if that fails? You're obviously on council and you're part of the problem!

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