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Drivers—see walkers? Let them cross!
By Mary E. Edwards

Drivers, be honest. When you see a walker standing at a corner, what’s your reaction: A) ignore him or her because there’s no painted crosswalk, so why do I have to stop? B) walker, what walker? C) slow to a stop and allow the walker to cross.

If you said A or B (shame on you if you said B) you’re breaking Oregon law and could face a fine. The only right answer here is C because it’s the law and it’s the right thing to do.

With area roads getting crowded with more cars, drivers need another reminder to be courteous to other road users. That reminder is the “Every Intersection is a Crosswalk” campaign launched earlier this year by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Like its “Be Safe, Be Seen” campaign to get cyclists and walkers to wear reflective clothing at night, the aim of the crosswalk campaign is safety. ODOT, in coordination with TriMet and counties, looked at crash data and decided they needed to change drivers’ perception about right-of-way, said Shelley Oylear, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for Washington County. Pedestrians make up about 16% of all fatalities on Oregon roads. From 2004 through 2013, 501 pedestrians were killed in Oregon, according to OregonWalks.org. In Washington County, 51 of 236 traffic fatalities in that period were pedestrians, about 21.6%!

In Cedar Mill, walkers are especially vulnerable because many roads not only have no or few sidewalks, but they have unmarked crosswalks and lots of commuting traffic. In addition, the start of school means more children are walking to and from school or bus stops.

The campaign aims to educate with a gentle, but firm touch. A 30-second video shows Sasquatch fearful of crossing the road until a kindly woman explains the law to him. The two walk arm-in-arm after safely crossing the street.

The campaign includes education for walkers, bicyclists and others non-drivers, too. To indicate they want to cross, people need to extend something—an arm, foot, wheelchair, cane, or crutch. Cyclists can put their front wheel out.

“We’re trying to change the culture,” said Oylear. “We wanted to get the message out in a positive way for people to look out for one another, be courteous.”

Yard signs sporting walkers, including Sasquatch, and bumper stickers are available to remind your neighborhood walkers and drivers. Contact Sarah Owens, Traffic Engineering Associate, at sarah_owens@co.washington.or.us or 503-846-7950.

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