Safety week begins

A coalition of public and private sector sponsors gathered at City Hall Monday night to kick off the Pedestrian Safety Education Campaign for the city of Philadelphia. At the event, Mayor Ed Rendell read a proclamation declaring this week Pedestrian Safety Week. The campaign will continue with a year-long effort to make the streets safer for pedestrians by educating the walking public on its rights and responsibilities. The campaign's theme, "Streets Are For Everyone" -- S.A.F.E. -- highlights the effort to create a multimedia drive organized by City Councilwoman Happy Fernandez. Fernandez discussed her plan to organize a meeting of local universities to discuss safety issues on their campuses. Referring specifically to the four recent cases in which University students were hit by cars, she said Philadelphia's other college students "are also at high risk in this city." To get the "S.A.F.E." message across, area companies will purchase television and radio spots as well as newspaper advertisements. The campaign will also host a poetry contest for middle school students and provide a toll-free number for citizens to voice their safety concerns. About 10,000 posters will be scattered throughout the city as well, Fernandez said. In addition, the city has passed legislation to remark crosswalks and issue warning tickets for jaywalking. This year, there have been more than 2,400 pedestrian injuries and 58 deaths -- a 33 percent increase over last year's figures. As a result, Philadelphia, long ranked as one of America's most "walkable" cities by the National Transportation Safety Community, has lost its ranking in the top 10 safest U.S. cities for pedestrians. Rendell said he thinks the campaign will help Philadelphia regain the honor. "It will make Philadelphia known as a walkable city -- the most pedestrian-friendly city in the East Coast," he said. Rendell said he believes S.A.F.E. will be key in the effort to educate everyone who uses Philadelphia streets. Transportation Projects Coordinator Brad Johnson agreed. "Motorists need to be aware of pedestrians," he said. "And pedestrians will need to be aware of motorists."