crosswalk

[Allen Muchnick]

Susan,

Some of those who have recently posted on this list do
not attend BikeWalk Alexandria meetings primarily
because we do not reside within Alexandria.  In
addition, I can't attend most of the meetings because
they conflict with the monthly meetings of the
Arlington County Bicycle Advisory Committee.  

I also suspect that discussions on this list are at
least as effective as attending monthly BWA meetings,
in part because this list reaches many more people and
Alexandria decision makers.

BikeWalk Virginia, as a statewide pedestrian advocacy
organization, should more effectively lead the reform
of Virginia's crosswalk laws, and I suspect it will
indeed do that in the near future.

The proponents of this reform have tried a variety of 
approaches over the years, and in 2007 Del. Brian
Moran got Virginia's Secretary of Transportation to
appoint a statewide task force to draft a new proposed
crosswalk statute.  Unfortunately, these bills (again)
became the victim of partisan rivalry (Republican
hostility) in the House of Delegates, and Senator
Ticer's bill died in a House subcommittee merely
because one pro-pedestrian Republican (Del. Tom Rust
of Herndon) was absent for a key vote.

One simple strategy for future success is to have
these bills filed again next year.  Just trying again
(and again) often eventually works, but more proactive
education and advocacy *outside* of Northern Virginia
would certainly help.  The Alexandria members of the
General Assembly are all already strongly
pro-pedestrian.

Allen Muchnick
Arlington VA
President, Virginia Bicycling Federation 
Member, Virginia Board of Transportation Safety  


--- Susan Schneider <lfh363 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Yes, I know, people aren't reading my emails
> correctly here. I said "Wanting" They haven't set
> foot on a crosswalk yet. They were thinking to do
> so. You know why they haven't set foot on the
> crosswalk wanting to cross it, because it is scary
> and dangerous to do so. That is my point.
>  
>  You see if you  folks would come/go to meetings
> rather than complain about the government, the city
> of Alexandria, the police etc through email and
> behind closed doors we probably could accomplish
> more here Susan Schneider Phone: 202 403 1148 



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