Rethinking Auto-Centrism

The Thanksgiving hit-and-run that injured four people in North Hollywood serves as a sad reminder of how dangerous it can be for pedestrians in auto-centric Southern California. Four relatives carrying food to their Thanksgiving dinner were struck as they crossed Victory Boulevard. Those hit were jaywalking, but that does not excuse the behavior of the driver, who Los Angeles Police believe was under the influence of alcohol. Besides, plenty of pedestrians who abide by the rules encounter drivers who range from discourteous to downright dangerous.

Even as communities from Studio City to Canoga Park strive to become more friendly to pedestrians, most walkers and joggers find the streets of the San Fernando Valley anything but inviting. Last year, police in the Valley issued 4,700 tickets for violations that included jaywalking and failing to stop for pedestrians. That was up from 3,300 in 1996. And it’s not just in the Valley. Citywide, 108 pedestrians were killed last year. A study in August ranked Southern California as the eighth most dangerous metropolitan area for pedestrians.

Better enforcement is part of the solution, and The Times supports efforts such as crackdowns on jaywalkers and stings that nab motorists who blow through crosswalks. But pedestrians deserve more consideration by both drivers and transportation planners. Although pedestrians were involved in 18% of all traffic-related accidents between 1992 and 1997, less than 1% of the federal transportation money California receives funds improvements to make walking easier or safer. Clearly, new ideas about pedestrian safety deserve scrutiny.

Some of those ideas are surprising. For instance, one study suggests that crosswalks can do more harm than good. Between 1982 and 1991, Los Angeles transportation planners studying 105 intersections discovered that accidents dropped 73% after the familiar white lines were removed. The reason: Pedestrians feel emboldened by the lines and sometimes do not wait for an appropriate gap in traffic. But abolishing lines requires additional driver training.

Most drivers, for instance, understand that pedestrians have the right of way in marked crosswalks--even if they often ignore that right. Yet few understand that pedestrians also have the right of way in unmarked crosswalks, which include most intersections. Pedestrians have a responsibility to cross when it’s safe, but drivers also have an obligation to stop once a walker is in the street.

New technology can also make it safer for pedestrians. A so-called smart crosswalk installed earlier this year in Sun Valley alerts drivers to pedestrians with flashing lights. Cost: $15,000. Variations on this concept are being tried across the city and are worth the investment. Other ideas may not be as popular in the Valley, where long, straight boulevards allow drivers to build up speed. “Traffic calming” devices such as speed bumps, narrowed streets and traffic circles can be appropriate for residential neighborhoods.

The Valley was built around the automobile--a notion that served residents well for nearly 40 years. But as commercial districts and residential neighborhoods alike try to lure people out of their cars, that notion must change. It demands rethinking the way streets and neighborhoods are built. Most of all, though, it demands rethinking the way most of us drive.