Agricultural Sciences

Land-use webinar to focus on protecting pedestrians at crosswalks

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pedestrian and cyclists’ safety in community settings will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension at noon July 15. 

The 90-minute session addresses an important issue. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed each year is growing.

Research conducted by the federal agency shows that while there has been a decline in people killed “inside the vehicle” in accidents from 1996 to 2018, there has been an increase in people killed “outside the vehicle” in accidents during that same time period, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Presenting the 75-minute webinar will be Patrick Wright, traffic engineer with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Local Technical Assistance Program.

“There are safety issues including traffic volume and speed that impact pedestrians in our communities,” he said. “How we manage traffic volume and speed on our local roads directly impacts pedestrian safety.” 

The webinar will present an overview of several Local Technical Assistance Program classes related to pedestrian safety. The first part of the webinar will discuss safety statistics, speeding issues on local roads and some speed-management steps. The second part will present an overview of planning for pedestrians, including what municipal officials should be aware of in their plans, codes, ordinances and transportation plans. 

The third part of the webinar will discuss crosswalks and proven safety countermeasures that communities can consider for their crosswalks. 

This webinar, titled “Pedestrians: Safety, Speed, and Crosswalks,” is the first in Penn State Extension’s Summer/Fall 2020 Land-Use Webinar Series that runs through November. The series assists municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers and community organizations in being informed about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.

Other topics and dates in the webinar series include:

— Aug. 19: “The Future of Zoning: The View from the COVID-19 Lens.”

— Sept. 16: “Farmers Markets Before, During and Post COVID-19.”

— Oct. 21: “Planning Commission Boards in Pennsylvania: Requirements and Recommendations.”

— Nov. 18: “Changing Consumer Food Sourcing in the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

These programs will be recorded and available for later viewing. The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive certification-maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost is $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits. In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing education credits for a fee of $65.

For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the website.

Last Updated July 10, 2020