Taking Back Our Streets

To ensure the safe travel of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians in the City of Albany
Albany Traffic Safety Stakeholders Committee
June 4, 2014
Executive Suary
The Albany !olice "epartent recently copleted a # year strate$ic plan% As part of the strate$ic plan a
ne& vision, ission, and $oals &ere defined% The first $oal identified is 'Ta(in$ )ac( *ur Streets+ to
ensure the safe travel of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians in the City of Albany%,
As part of the process of &or(in$ to&ard this $oal, the departent convened a Traffic Safety
Sta(eholders Coittee coprised of la& enforceent, sub-ect atter experts, $overnental a$encies,
and counity partners to help attain this $oal%
The Traffic Safety Sta(eholders Coittee held a nuber of open eetin$s to discuss coon issues
that ipact the City re$ardin$ the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and otorists% The coittee
decided to focus on three areas+ en$ineerin$, education, and enforceent%
Subcoittees &ere fored in order to coplete an in.depth loo( at each area% Each subcoittee
&as led by a eber of the Albany !olice "epartent% The subcoittees have concluded their
ori$inal intent and have each ade nuerous recoendations to the police departent%
Enclosed in this report are the recoendations of the Traffic Safety Sta(eholders Coittee% The
coittee has endorsed each of these recoendations and has presented the to the Albany !olice
"epartent for ipleentation% Action plans &ill no& be developed by the subcoittees for
ipleentation%
Chief /ro(off extends his sincere than(s to the individuals and or$ani0ations &ho have dedicated their
tie and resources to this coittee% 1e is positive that by &or(in$ to$ether &e can ta(e bac( our
streets%
Education Subcoittee 2ecoendations
Chair3 Steven Sith
"evelop a traffic safety education pro$ra for $rades /.#3
o !SA4s throu$hout the school+
o Traffic Safety !SA contest that the students &ill participate in+
o 5ncentive pro$ra for children &ho cross the street properly+
o !arent involveent+
o 6tili0e 7E8A for education pro$ras+
o !artner &ith the Albany County Traffic Safety Coittee+
o 5pleent a Traffic Safety 9ee( in the city+
o Ensure afterschool pro$ras, day cares, and counity centers are included+
o *ctober : 9al( ;our /id to School "ay+
o 8ay : )i(e to School "ay+
o 2each out to forei$n population to raise a&areness and educate% <)urese, Asian,
1ispanic, etc%=
"evelop a traffic safety education pro$ra for $rades >. 123
o 7ocus on pedestrian and bicycle safety+
o "rivin$ safety presentations+
o Conduct oc( "95 drill+
o ?host days+
o Education on the safe utili0ation of obile devices+
o 7ieldtrips to Choices @01+
o Explore the creation a po&erful video+
o 1old a !SA contest+
o 'Save ;our 7riends Aife *ver the Air&ays,+
o Alive at 2#+
o 8ay : )i(e to School "ay%
"evelop a traffic safety education pro$ra for senior citi0ens3
o 9or( &ith residential facilities that house older residents+
o "evelop educational aterial $eared to&ard this deo$raphic+
o Encoura$e the use of public or alternative transportation+
o 2eco$ni0e and discuss traffic safety concerns associated &ith a$in$ adults+
o !artner &ith AAA and other or$ani0ations that speciali0e in education of seniors%
"evelop an education capai$n $eared to&ard otorcycle safety3
o !roote a&areness about otorcycle safety as &ar &eather approaches+
o 6tili0e aterials fro B;S "8C : 5ntersection+
o !roote 'Aoo( T&ice : Save a Aife,+
o Share aterials and educate public at events throu$hout the city+
o !roote 8ay as bein$ otorcycle safety onth%
Create a )icycle Abassador !ro$ra3
o *r$ani0e city bi(e rides and events+
o Educate the public on bicycle safety+
o Encoura$e ore cyclin$+
o 1i$hli$ht 8ay as bein$ bicycle safety onth%
5pleent a city.&ide public relations capai$n to reind drivers, bicyclists, otorcyclists, and
pedestrians of the rules of the road utili0in$3
o Cariable 8essa$e )oards+
o Aeaflets+
o Be&sletters+
o !SA4s+
o Static Si$ns+
o !rivate Copany Electronic 8essa$e )oards%
"evelop and ipleent public service announceents re$ardin$ vehicle, otorcycle, bicycle,
and pedestrian safety utili0in$3
o !ublic Access Television+
o 2adio Stations+
o C8S )oards+
o !rivate )usiness Electronic )oards%
Continue 'See : )e Seen, !ublic Safety Capai$n utili0in$3
o !oster )oards
o C8S )oards
o !aphlets
5ncrease )icycle 2odeos City&ide%
o Continue Current
Arbor 1ill
9est 1ill
o Expand
South End
!ine 1ills
Continue to &or( &ith B;S "*T on pedestrian safety a&areness capai$n alon$ the 2oute #
corridor%
Explore partnerships &ith insurance copanies that can enhance educational opportunities and
capai$ns%
Continue and enhance on$oin$ counity based education involvin$3
o Car seat installation and education+
o )icycle helet $ivea&ays+
o )icycle re$istration pro$ra+
o )icycles for crie victis%

En$ineerin$ Coittee 2ecoendations
Chair3 9illia Trudeau
5prove and increase the nuber of ar(ed cross&al(s City &ide3
o 6tili0e hi$hest visibility ar(in$s+
o Add to the nuber of idbloc( crossin$s after an en$ineerin$ study is copleted for
each location%
Create clear space at intersections by postin$ par(in$ restrictions or construct sall curb
extensions+ this &ill stop vehicles fro par(in$ too close to intersection and increase visibility for
otorists, pedestrians and cyclists%
9here en$ineerin$ study finds appropriate, post Bo Turn on 2ed si$ns <static or illuinated by
phase= to restrict turns and increase intersection safety for vehicles and pedestrians%
Create consistent iniu yello& and red clearance ties, as &ell as red to $reen ties, for
intersections% 5ntersection $eoetry and coplexity clearance ties ay be increased based
upon en$ineerin$ -ud$ent%
Continue to add to the shared vehicleDbi(e lanes%
Continue installation of dedicated bicycle lanes &here appropriate%
!rovide otorcycle par(in$% This could be instituted as part of the intersection clear space
pro$ra as ost otorcycles do not cause a lar$e visibility proble &hen par(ed
Establish criteria for linear speed liit of 2#8!1% This is not a city &ide or area speed liit and
ust be done in con-unction &ith en$ineerin$ study to correct a specific proble%
o This potential exists no& based on a docuented history and a traffic study%
Create a hoe rule speed liit of 20ph%
9or( &ith City En$ineer on Speed 1up pro$ra% "evelop criteria for &hen installation of
speed hups are appropriate%
Continue to ipleent Coplete Streets $uidelines and pro$ra%
Clearly delineate &ith appropriate ar(in$sDsi$ns 7ire 1ydrant Clear 0ones <@04 per CTA=
Study top 10 intersections &ith crashesDtic(ets to deterine cause of crashes and if there is any
type of en$ineerin$ solution to the issue% Solutions could consist of reconstruction to better
si$na$e%
Conduct a city.&ide par(in$ revie&%
Conduct a city.&ide revie& of traffic safety si$na$e%
Conduct a city.&ide revie& of all street and par(in$ enforceent si$ns%
Conduct a collaborative revie& of C"TA bus stops%
Conduct a revie& of all school and par( 0ones%
Assi$n police departent personnel to the Albany )icycle and !edestrian Safety Advocacy
coittee%
Explore the utili0ation of traffic control detectors for otorcycles%
Enforceent 2ecoendations
Chair3 !aul /ir&an
2esearch and develop the utili0ation of red li$ht caeras%
2esearch and develop utili0ation of technolo$y to enhance the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists,
otorcyclists, and drivers%
2esearch the utili0ation of speed caeras%
Conduct enforceent drives3
o 6tili0e $rant funds to increase patrol nubers+
o Support ultia$ency intensive enforceent periods%
Conduct increased enforceent of a$$ressive drivin$ behaviors3
o Speed in 0one enforceent+
o Speed based on reasonable and prudent3
*ne &ay streets+
!ar(s+
School 0ones+
Bo turn on red%
Conduct seat belt enforceent s&eeps%
Conduct passed school bus s&eeps%
Conduct "95 s&eeps%
Conduct failure to yield to pedestrian s&eeps%
Enhanced enforceent of par(in$ re$ulations3
o "ouble par(in$+
o Cross&al(s+
o *bstructed vie&s+
o Bo par(in$ here to corner%
2evie& accident data to deterine appropriate locations of increased enforceent%
Continue to develop "ata."riven Approaches to Crie and Traffic Safety strate$ies%
"evelop and ipleent plans to address counity coplaints re$ardin$ traffic issues%
"evelop and ipleent plans to address par(in$ enforceent throu$hout the City%
6tili0e data throu$h the Albany County Crie Analysis Center to deterine locations &here
increased visible traffic enforceent should ta(e place%