FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2006

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Deb Ridgway, Bridging The Gap
(816) 561-1061, ext. 114
(816) 588-4092 cell
deb@bridgingthegap.org

Local Mayor’s Proclaim October – Pedestrian Safety Month
Kansas City Launches Pedestrian Safety Campaign

Kansas City, MO –  Share the Road Safety Task Force partners, with representatives from 30 agencies including law enforcement, health care, municipalities, advocacy organizations and business, have come together to raise awareness about pedestrian safety. The campaign was launched on October 4th when Safe Kids of Metro KC hosted a safety event in Blue Valley Park for 5th graders from McCoy and James Elementary Schools. Over 80 children and adults participated in this engaging and interactive event.

Raytown Mayor Sue Frank and members of the City Council will adopt a Pedestrian Safety Month resolution on October 17th at 7:00 PM.

Mayor Kay Barnes and Kansas City Council Members will adopt a similar Pedestrian Safety Month resolution on October 19th at 3:00 PM.

Parkville Mayor Kathy Dusenberry will host Family Ghost Story Night at the Parkville Nature Sanctuary on October 28th.  Share the Road Safety Task Force member, Deb Ridgway will be on hand to tell the ghoulish tale of “Distracted Daphne’s Disastrous Day” and distribute pedestrian safety campaign materials to community residents.

Lee’s Summit Mayor Karen Messerli will be the opening speaker at a Pedestrian Safety Workshop on November 10th to be held at John Knox Village from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.  Representatives from Lee’s Summit Police and Public Works Departments, John Knox Village, Mid-America Regional Council and the Share the Road Safety Task Force will each present issues of pedestrian safety from their perspective. Then participants will be led on a walking audit of Chipman and Pryor Roads to assess if any improvements are needed to make those roads safer around the campus of John Knox Village.

Sponsored by the Share the Road Safety Task Force, Pedestrian Safety Month is a comprehensive campaign to promote pedestrian safety and educate the public about important pedestrian facilities designed to protect both drivers and pedestrians.  These devices include crosswalks, pedestrian traffic signals and warning signs. Campaign materials will be distributed at each community event.  The campaign targets both drivers and pedestrians.

According to Michael Briggs, Transportation Planner with Mid-America Regional Council, “On a national basis over 5,000 pedestrians are killed, and 85,000 are injured in roadway crashes every year, resulting in $20 billion societal costs. That’s 200 pedestrians killed or injured every day. Locally, the Kansas City region has experienced 13 pedestrian fatalities on our streets so far this year, costing the region $39 million. Pedestrian safety is a concern everywhere. This campaign is timely and much needed.”

“Pedestrian safety is a two-way street that requires awareness for both pedestrians and drivers,” says Deb Ridgway of Bridging The Gap.  “This campaign addresses both of those audiences,” she added.  Materials were developed by the Federal Highway Administration and adopted for Kansas City and include four television PSAs, six radio PSAs, one poster, two brochures, a lanyard with pedestrian safety tips and a bumper sticker.

Share the Road Safety Task Force partners include:
American Diabetes Association
Brain Injury Association
Bridging The Gap
City of Lee’s Summit
City of Raytown
City of Parkville
City of Kansas City, Missouri
Destination Safe
Downtown Community Improvement District – Bike Patrol
Induro Cycling
John Knox Village
Kansas City Bicycle Club
Kansas City Department of Parks and Recreation
Leawood Police Department
Localcycling.com
Major Taylor Foundation of Greater Kansas City
MetroGreen
Mid-America Regional Council
MiLatino Media Group
Missouri Bicycle Federation
Missouri Department of Transportation – Kansas City Region
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration – Central Region
Platte County
Riverfront Heritage Trail
Rosedale Development Association
Safe Kids Johnson County
Safe Kids Metro KC
University of Kansas Medical Center
University of Missouri – Kansas City

For more information, please contact Deb Ridgway, Alternative Transportation Manager with Bridging The Gap, at (816) 561-1061, ext. 114 or deb@bridgingthegap.org.