Pedestrians killed in crashes more often in Macon than elsewhere in GA. What’s being done?
Macon has a problem with pedestrian deaths.
The city outpaces the state in its rate of pedestrian fatalities, with 7% of Macon crashes in recent years killing pedestrians compared to the statewide average of 5%. In 2023, 15 pedestrians and a cyclist died on Macon roads.
In a Monday meeting for the Pedestrian Safety Review Board, officials laid out what progress Macon has made towards protecting pedestrians, and provided an outline for future plans.
Pedestrian deaths have been less common this year, as two have been reported in Macon in 2024. But the board emphasized its goal of eventually stopping pedestrian deaths completely.
New projects, more money for Macon safety
Macon has made major investments in recent years towards improving pedestrian safety, and the city’s proposed 2024 budget seeks to take that a step further.
The proposed city budget designates $500,000 for pedestrian safety initiatives. This keeps pace with the amount of money allocated in the 2023 and 2024 budgets. The county allocated $100,00 for pedestrian safety in 2022, and no money the year before.
Macon also applied for about $6 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation in May to go towards local initiatives improving pedestrian safety. The county would use the funding to work on East Macon and Gray Highway, which is ranked among the deadliest roads for pedestrians in Georgia.
The Pedestrian Safety Review Board and city officials have already planned several new roundabouts, and are working on adding pedestrian islands on large roadways to help people trying to cross the street.
Weston Stroud, transportation safety manager for Macon-Bibb County, said the improvements will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act to make streets safer for everyone.
Macon city officials are also taking action to improve pedestrian safety around schools. The review board has already been working with Bibb County Schools to teach students bike safety and monitor students walking to and from school.
Policy aimed at eliminating pedestrian deaths in Macon
Rachel Hollar-Umana, executive director of Bike Walk Macon and vice chair of the review board, said a big driver of improving pedestrian infrastructure in Macon is the city’s Complete Streets policy.
“Complete Streets” refers to streets that accommodate all forms of transportation, including walking, biking and driving. Macon passed the ordinance in 2022, following the lead of the Georgia Department of Transportation, which passed Complete Streets legislation in 2012.
Having the legislation at the state and local levels is essential because it allows both governments to work on roads with similar goals in mind, Hollar-Umana said.
The Complete Streets ordinance complements the Vision Zero Action Plan, a plan the county adopted at the end of 2020 to eliminate traffic fatalities.
The plan allocated funding for the county to hire its first-ever transportation safety manager, who is responsible for coordinating with state and federal agencies and analyzing data to identify and address dangerous roads.
In a further effort to work with the state in improving pedestrian safety, District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas said the review board and Macon-Bibb County have been working on their relationship with GDOT. Lucas is also part of the review board.
GDOT controls some of Macon’s most problematic roads, including Gray and Emery highways. Macon-Bibb County can’t make changes to state and federal highways on its own.
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 9:30 AM.