OPINION: Facing the facts this pedestrian safety month

As daylight wanes and termination dust signals the fast-approaching winter, Anchorage settles into the darkest month of the year. October is Pedestrian Safety Month and there’s no better time time to face the facts about the dangers pedestrians encounter on our streets.

5 years of data from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), published in the Municipality’s Vision Zero Plan (2018) highlights just how vulnerable pedestrians are in Anchorage.

Fast facts

• Half of serious pedestrian crashes happened at intersections, 25% of pedestrian crashes took place at signaled intersections, and turning vehicles were involved in 25% of pedestrian crashes.

• Pedestrian crashes are most likely to happen late in the afternoon to evening, with the period between 4 p.m. and midnight accounting for the most accidents.

• The frequency of crashes increases substantially for all users — drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists — on major arterial roads, like Minnesota, Northern Lights, C St., Muldoon and Tudor.

There is also consistently a spike in pedestrian crashes during August and September. This year, six pedestrians died in September alone, bringing the total number of pedestrian deaths in the Municipality to 13. As summer ends and the school year begins, it seems that reduced daylight, and increased afternoon activity combine to create more challenging driving conditions with grave consequences for pedestrians.

Jaywalking citations don’t save lives

These statistics may lead folks to a reactionary conclusion that Anchorage police should cite more pedestrians for jaywalking — crossing the street outside a crosswalk. Last summer, we reviewed local and national data in our work to co-sponsor the Vulnerable Road User Ordinance (AO 2023-65 S-1), which removed citations from code that were not regularly enforced, such as mid-block crossings. From 2016-2023, APD averaged six citations — a $40 ticket — per year for pedestrians crossing within 150 feet of a crosswalk.

This choice to remove these citations has drawn significant criticism this year, but the facts tell the unfortunate story that autumn pedestrian deaths precede our policy decision by a decade.

In one out of five crashes involving pedestrians, the pedestrian had the right of way. Even people who follow the rules of the road are still struck by drivers.

Eliminating citation fees for jaywalking isn’t about encouraging people to break the law—it’s about acknowledging that the current system often blames pedestrians for accidents that are not their fault. Many pedestrian collisions stem from dangerous driving behaviors or road designs that prioritize speed over safety.

The path forward

The fact is that pedestrian crashes are happening even where safety measures are in place, including intersections with traffic signals and crosswalks. If we want to see fewer pedestrian injuries and fatalities, the solution is not to reintroduce citation fees for jaywalking — it’s to make Anchorage’s roads safer by design.

Technical experts, engineers and policy makers need to align to prioritize safety over speed. That’s why we supported AR 2024-296, championed by Assembly Vice Chair Meg Zaletel to call upon the Municipality and the State of Alaska to take immediate action while planning for long-term, structural improvements to street safety.

The resolution requests a report by Oct. 8 evaluating immediate next steps:

• Immediately install improved lighting. Providing adequate light—especially in our shoulder seasons when conditions are darkest—is vital to safety in our winter city.

• Lower speed limits by at least 10 mph, not to exceed 35 mph on major roads. The single most impactful risk factor to pedestrians is speed. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 40 mph has an 85% chance of being killed, compared to a 40% fatality rate when the vehicle is traveling at 30 mph.

• Produce a public education campaign about the impact of speed on pedestrian safety. Reiterating our shared responsibility for driving down the number of preventable deaths on our roads is something we can all get behind — the Municipality and the State, drivers and pedestrians alike. An education campaign could include distributing pedestrian safety equipment, similar to the Center for Safe Alaskans, which mails reflective tape to households throughout the state.

• Increase enforcement of traffic violations along identified corridors and pedestrian behavior. Whether you drive, ride, walk or roll, everyone needs to follow the rules of the road, including traffic enforcement (AMC 9.16) and pedestrian rights and duties (AMC 9.20).

With 4 pedestrian deaths for every 100k people, Anchorage is on track to become one of the deadliest cities for pedestrians in the country. Let’s stop blaming pedestrians for dangerous streets, take accountability and start fixing the roads that put them in harm’s way.

This Pedestrian Safety Month is a reminder that every data point is a real life changed forever. It’s time to slow down, look out and drive safe.

Anna Brawley, Karen Bronga and Daniel Volland are members of the Anchorage Assembly.

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