By Linda Stamato
Let’s give pedestrians a break!
Drivers need to pay special attention as they approach intersections in town, particularly those that have no traffic lights.
This Morristown intersection, where Hamilton meets South Street, can be risky for seniors attempting to cross South Street. Photo by Linda Stamato
Take this one, where Hamilton meets up with South Street. A lot of elderly people live in the apartment complexes that line Hamilton, Franklin and Hill streets and they cross South Street at this location, because Rite-Aid and Walgreen pharmacies and Kings are on the opposite side.
With four lanes to cross and heavy traffic at most hours of the day, it’s not a task for the faint-hearted!
Consider this. Older walkers are much more likely to be killed on New Jersey roads than their younger counterparts, according to an analysis by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a regional transportation policy watchdog group.
From 2009 to 2011, 137 pedestrians 60 or older were killed on our state’s roads. While those 60 and older constitute only 19 percent of the state’s population, pedestrian fatalities for this group account for 31.1 percent of the total number of fatalities.
Why? Slower reaction times and impaired eyesight or hearing may account for some incidents. And certain automobile-related injuries can be more serious for older people.
Morristown has made good progress in improving safety with well-marked crosswalks and strategically placed pedestrian crossing/warning cones. Drivers, though, need to do their part. Look out for people in the crosswalks and stop for those who are waiting for an opening to cross.
Our town should be as safe for people crossing the street as it is for those driving on them.
Morristown resident Linda Stamato teaches in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and co-direct its Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Rutgers University.