May 4, 2005

Gonzales seeks pedestrian improvements

Mayor Ron Gonzales recently proposed installing additional pedestrian safety devices at critical street intersections.

The mayor said San Jose should aim at becoming the safest big city in America for pedestrians, and especially for schoolchildren, seniors and the disabled.

Over the next 18 months, he proposed installing pedestrian “countdown signals” at 50 of the city’s busiest intersections to let pedestrians know exactly how much time they have left to cross the street safely. The addition of crosswalks and flashing yellow lights at critical locations also would warn drivers about pedestrians crossing.

“Our goal is to save lives and reduce traffic accidents by increasing the safety of our streets,” said Gonzales. “We can
help pedestrians cross our busiest intersections more safely, reduce the risk of red-light runners and protect people crossing busy streets where there are no traffic devices.”

He also called for installation of “rat boxes,” which are devices that allow police to catch red-light runners, at 50 high-risk intersections throughout the city.

The San Jose Department of Transportation will develop criteria and schedules for the installation of the devices at critical locations. The estimated cost to install the proposed devices over the next 18 months is approximately $500,000.

Over the last eight years, the number of collisions in San Jose involving bicyclists or pedestrians has dropped 21 percent. (Based on CSJ collision data 1997-2004.)

Of the 13 U.S. cities with populations of 750,000 or more, San Jose has the second lowest pedestrian fatality rate in the nation. (Based on USDOT report dated 2003, using 1998-2000 numbers).

There are 864 signalized intersections in San Jose. The average cost of new signalized intersection is $250,000. Rat boxes are electronic devices that enable traffic enforcement officers to monitor traffic lights from the opposite side of the direction they are facing so they can quickly pursue red-light runners. Four warning signs that display the minimum fine of $336 for each red light violation accompany them. (The name “rat box” comes from original designs that included a wire that extended like a rat’s tail.)