Persistent and heated is the debate about Ann Arbor's Crosswalk Law. Most recently, after the city council voted 6-4 to repeal the ordinance that was put into place in 2011, Mayor Heiftje used his veto power to null the vote.
In its current state, the Ann Arbor City, requires vehicles to stop at a crosswalk if someone is "in the crosswalk" or "waiting at the curb." The 6-4 vote would have repealed the second part of this law, reverting it back to requiring vehicles only to stop if someone is in the crosswalk. The city council can override Mayor Heiftje's veto with 8 votes but it is unlikely that this will happen; four city council members strongly agree with Mayor Heiftje.
An article on MLive two weeks ago quotes the Mayor as saying "I don't think this is the time for us to be tweaking this ordinance. I think the city is safer now for pedestrians than it was before. I think a great deal of progress has been made." The changes made in the law two years ago increase safety for pedestrians. The wording requires vehicles in Ann Arbor to stop more frequently and requires them to be more aware of pedestrians on sidewalks. It is an ordinance that shifts the focus to be more inclusive of pedestrians.
Some argue that the ordinance, the way it is worded now, means that drivers have to guess the intent of a pedestrian standing at the curb; however, there should be no guessing involved. If someone is at the curb then a driver must yield. If that same person does not cross the crosswalk or walks away from it then the driver can proceed. But despite all the disagreement, one thing that everyone can agree on is that Ann Arbor can use more education, enforcement, and engineering around crosswalks to avoid the tragic pedestrian deaths that have occurred frequently in the past three years.
The recent incident in Ann Arbor, where a University of Michigan student was struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk on Plymouth road, has sparked new conversation about pedestrian safety. How much caution do flashing lights provide? Is distracted driving more often than not the cause of fatal accidents? The disastrous accident in which Sharita Williams was killed is a clear reminder of two notable things: that pedestrians must always use caution when crossing streets and that distracted driving should be eliminated at all costs.
In the city of Ann Arbor, the crosswalk laws were re-worded two years ago. A press release from the City of Ann Arbor explains that the prior ordinance required "a vehicle to stop for a pedestrian 'approaching or within' a marked crosswalk...." while the new ordinance requires "a vehicle to stop for a pedestrian standing 'at the curb' as well as 'within the crosswalk." In addition, as an article from annarbor.com titled "Number of pedestrian-vehicle crashes up in Ann Arbor since adoption of crosswalk ordinance" states, the city's ordinance requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians standing at the curb, while the state's MichiganTraffic Code requires cars yield to pedestrians.
While this changes the wording of the law, attempting to make it safer for pedestrians crossing the street, it is important for people to not let their guard down and to use caution. There is no evidence yet to suggest that the change in wording has increased or decreased the number of pedestrian-vehicle crashes. In the tragic case of Sharita Williams' death, just because there is a crosswalk and flashing lights to notify drivers, these efforts at improved safety are on no consequence if drivers are still distracted from their driving. According to a recent article from annarbor.com the most dangerous intersection for walkers and bikers are in downtown Ann Arbor along Huron street; however, other places such as Plymouth Road can be very risky.
At all times, cautious pedestrians should be paired with safe, non-distracted drivers. The incident on Plymouth Road is a reminder that even when the City takes action to prevent harmful accidents, people are still responsible for driving safely with as little distractions as possible. Every added element that is not the steering wheel or gas peddle counts as a distraction. Tracy Samilton from NPR says that even being late is an added distraction that impedes safe driving.
All of this means that crossing the street can be deadly, especially on busy streets such as Plymouth and Huron in Ann Arbor. It also means that it is part pedestrian, part driver to ensure the safety of people in cross-walks. Driving distracted is risky and unsafe. Walking and talking on a cell phone, listening to music, or texting while walking can also be a major distraction for pedestrians who need to be alert, free of distractions, and always cautious when crossing streets.
