By Chris Caraveo
Twitter: @ChrisCaraveo31

People are free to walk and bike outside, but traversing the streets comes with rules.

From jaywalking violations to waiting for the crosswalk signals, laws are in place to ensure public safety for pedestrians.

But pedestrian safety is also tied to the ability of drivers. According to a report from TermLife2Go, Chandler and Gilbert are among the top 10 safest U.S. cities for pedestrians.

“The biggest threat to pedestrians — by far — is drivers,” TermLife2Go writer Alex Enabnit stated. “All it takes is that moment of inattentiveness, that ignored stop sign, or that quick right turn for a driver’s commute to turn into a tragic pedestrian fatality.”

In it’s report, TermLife2Go analyzed the largest 100 cities by population and compared the number of pedestrian deaths — as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association — to the number of workers age 16 or older in each city.

Coming at No. 4 is Chandler, with a pedestrian death rate of 0.79 per 100,000. Gilbert, with a rate of 0.89, is tied for seventh. Arizona and Texas both have two of the ten safest cities.

“I would love to be able to say that it is our most excellent engineering standards that lead to the high quality and safety that the residents of Gilbert enjoy in the pedestrian experience,” said David Fabiano, town engineer for Gilbert. “But, I am afraid the answer is much more comprehensive. I believe that the Town of Gilbert’s high standings for pedestrian safety begins with our Town Council, our Town leadership, all of our Town staff, our schools, our churches and civic organizations and most importantly, all of our residents and visitors. It begins in each home and business where individuals who value safety live and work. That value is taught, shared and lived.”

With the hustle and bustle of a big city, New York City is the safest for pedestrians, as the report found it has the lowest pedestrian death rate at 0.43. Plano, Texas and Lincoln, Nebraska trail the NYC.

“First off, it’s perhaps more friendly to pedestrians than cars right off the bat with all those wide sidewalks and extensive subway system for commuters,” Mr. Enabnit said about the Big Apple. “Many New Yorkers would probably even encourage visitors to ditch their car and just hoof it on foot to avoid the terrible traffic and ridiculous parking.

“The drivers also understand that the pedestrians will walk in front of them — New Yorkers are fearless — so drivers possess a constant awareness to yield to pedestrians. What’s more, you can’t turn right on red in the majority of NYC, limiting many pedestrian/car blunders.”

According to Harvard Medical School, a brisk walk can mitigate the impact of genes that promote weight gain. Walking can also lower the risk of breast cancer in women, soothe arthritic joint pain, increase immune system function, and reduce cravings for sugary snacks. It has also been found to improve mental health and overall mood.

Health benefits aside, however, walking is only as safe as the drivers around you.

“It is my personal theory that the safest cities for walking are cities where drivers drive safely and defensively,” Mr. Enabnit stated. “This translates to lower speed limits; better signage; better, well-lit pedestrian crossings; and attentive — even courteous — drivers.”

HAWKing on the ground level

While pedestrians have no control over someone’s vehicle, there are ways to keep themselves safe while walking.

People probably don’t need to be told to walk on sidewalks or to use crosswalks, but that’s always a recommendation.

While cities like Phoenix have been using High Intensity Activated CrossWalK (HAWK) beacon signals for years, some people may not know how they work.

The HAWK signals are used to help make it easier and safer for people to cross busy streets without impeding traffic. They can be installed on streets with regular traffic signals as part of a city’s coordinated signal system.

Phoenix has been installing the signals since 2007 after they were approved by the Federal Highway Administration. The city also installed more of these during the summer, while El Mirage and Glendale also implement them.

For motorists, the HAWK looks a bit like the flashing red lights at railway crossings. It consists of a Yellow-Red-Flashing Red signal format for motorists.

Unlike traffic signals, the HAWK only operates when a pedestrian pushes a button on the pole. Vehicles are free to move when no one is crossing the street.

However, motorists should respond to yellow and solid red lights in the same manner as any other traffic signal. After stopping for the red light, motorists may proceed through the crossing area during the flashing red light interval only when safe to do so without risk to pedestrians.

For pedestrians, the signal works similarly to other push-button-activated traffic signals in the city, such as the crosswalk signals at intersections. Lights on the HAWK signal are activated when a pedestrian pushes the button at either end of the crossing.

Why Gilbert and Chandler?

In finding Gilbert and Chandler among the safest for pedestrians, Mr. Enabnit posited — albeit jokingly — that the low pedestrian death rates in those places are likely due to walkers staying inside to avoid soaring summer temps.

But Mr. Enabnit, who has lived in Gilbert for over 20 years, credits the neighboring municipalities for having well-maintained sidewalks lining most of the streets.

“Also, the neighborhoods are well-known as being family-friendly, which the drivers understand as they watch for kids playing on the street and sidewalks,” he said. “The downtown areas of both cities are great places to walk around as they have grown substantially in the last 20 years. Today, both downtown Gilbert and downtown Chandler have a bustling nightlife and great restaurants and bars all within a walkable distance.

For Town Engineer David Fabiano, he listed a variety of ways Gilbert is working to ensure pedestrians are safe on the streets.

The town’s Transportation Planning Division recently completed a Bicycle Master Plan to help provide for a better and safer micro-mobility — pedestrian, bicycle, scooters, etc. — in Gilbert. To meet that direction, micro-mobility is being added as a specific element of Gilbert’s upcoming Transportation Master Plan update.

With the introduction of motorized scooters that people can rent and ride around the Valley, including in Gilbert, the town’s police department chief recently rented a scooter and filmed a public safety announcement teaching the residents about the device. Chief Michael Soelberg is seen riding the scooter in areas of Gilbert, modeling appropriate behavior while narrating about the safety and legal requirements for these scooters.

“The community is growing and evolving into the future,” Mr. Fabiano stated. “Our transportation modes are evolving too. Today’s best practices will change. As a Town, we will change and grow. Always looking to best practices; always looking for best value from our improvements; honoring and respecting the values of our Town and it’s residents. I believe that is why Gilbert is able to be one of the best places in Arizona, America and indeed the world to live, work and play.”