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Resource Sheet 5: Anticipating Concerns
Your local transportation department or agency may face a variety of challenges when it comes to pedestrian safety issues in your community. Anticipating these challenges and knowing how to respond may help you to build a better dialog and be more successful in advocating for change.
Potential concern 1: We don't have the money or budget to make pedestrian improvements.
One common concern of agencies is: "We don't have the money or budget to make pedestrian improvements." Having an idea of how a pedestrian improvement project can be funded can help you overcome this potential roadblock.
Generally, local governments have capital improvement plans (CIPs) that include the major roadway, sidewalk, and other infrastructure improvements the community plans to complete. Items included in the CIP tend to be fairly expensive and/or large scale and are planned years in advance.
Smaller, less expensive construction and improvement projects may not be placed in a CIP, but could be considered on an as-needed basis.
Listed below are common funding sources that can support pedestrian improvements:
- Federal transportation funds for surface transportation improvements.
- Federal non-transportation funds for projects such as trails or community based-projects.
- State transportation funds for pedestrian projects and programs.
- State non-transportation funds for limited pedestrian activities.
- Local funds such as local tax revenue, special bonds, or capital improvement budgets.
- Private sector funds from sources such as local nonprofit organizations, environmental land trust groups, local bicycling and outdoor recreation stores.
- Corporate and business community funds from sources such as insurance companies, banks, and chain stores.
- Foundations.
An innovative approach to funding pedestrian safety improvements is to break a large project into small pieces or phases that can be "purchased" by the public. Civic organizations (such as Lions Club), youth groups (such as YMCA or Girl Scouts), health and safety organizations, or even church groups might be willing to partner with you to help raise community funds. Also, contact your local chamber of commerce to identify ways in which the corporate and business community might be able to participate in funding support. Be sure to publicize the participation of any group that supports you.
Also, state offices of traffic (or highway) safety, sometimes referred to as governors' offices of traffic safety can provide you with more information about funding opportunities for programs to improve traffic safety and education (see the Frequently Asked Questions section in Chapter 4).
Potential concern 2: There's not a problem there.
Many agencies identify and prioritize pedestrian safety concerns (and locations where improvements will be made) by analyzing the pedestrian-motorist collision (or crash) data. While crashes are one way to determine pedestrian problems, just because a collision has not recently occurred does not mean that there is not a problem. By providing evidence of your concern (e.g., photos, videos, witnesses) you will be more likely to convince officials to investigate the site and/or open up communication with the affected residents. In some cases, you may have to recognize that there are other more pressing concerns that need to be addressed before the agency can focus attention on your community's issue.
Potential concern 3: I'm worried about the effects of pedestrian improvements on other transportation modes.
Sometimes, pedestrian improvements (such as changes in signal timing to allow more time for pedestrians to cross roads) may increase the delay experienced by other road users, such as bicyclists, transit riders, and automobile drivers. Transportation agencies with a focus and priority on safety will usually tolerate increases in delay to other road users, so long as there is a clear safety benefit. But, there are many transportation agencies that still place a higher priority on driver efficiency. Effectively communicating pedestrian issues to agencies and agency officials regularly may encourage a more balanced approach to transportation engineering and planning, thus ensuring all modes, including pedestrians, are adequately considered in the process.
Potential concern 4: If we make this improvement here, we will have to do it everywhere.
Transportation agencies may fear making an improvement in one location if they think they would then be required to make it everywhere, which may incur excessive costs. One way to avoid this concern is to work with agencies to help them establish clear guidelines that describe when an improvement is appropriate, a method for prioritizing projects, and/or how such improvements might be funded.
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