Dayton, OH –The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) relaunched a pedestrian safety campaign entitled Street Smart. The caption, “You can’t fix a pedestrian in a body shop,” with photos of men, women, and children, with black tire tracks across their faces, reminds drivers that pedestrians are defenseless against a vehicle. The relaunch corresponds with the end of daylight saving time on November 5, 2017, when it gets darker earlier in the evening.

“Pedestrians are the least physically protected and most vulnerable users of our transportation network.  When we learned how pedestrian fatalities rose by 10% nationally from 2014 to 2015, and even more dramatically, how they doubled in Ohio during the same time period, we knew we had to raise awareness about this deadly issue. We are all pedestrians for at least a part of our trip to and from our bus, bicycle, automobile, parking garage, home or employer,” explained MVRPC’s Executive Director, Brian O. Martin, AICP.

Locally, the Street Smart campaign consists of poster and digital billboard ads, newspaper ads, bus exterior and interior audio ads, and a webpage (mvrpc.org/street-smart). The billboard ads are located along arterial roadways throughout the Miami Valley that have higher vehicle, transit, and pedestrian traffic. The transit vehicles with exterior ads will be on numerous GDRTA bus routes. The public awareness campaign uses advertising materials developed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, with their permission.

MVRPC’s webpage (mvrpc.org/street-smart) includes reminders for motorists and pedestrians to help keep everyone safe.

Motorists, please follow these guidelines:

• Be alert for pedestrians, especially in low-light situations
• Always yield to pedestrians – it is better to focus on safety than on who is “right”
• Obey all traffic and speed laws, especially red light and stop sign laws
• Keep your eyes on the road and don’t drive distracted

Pedestrians, please follow these guidelines:

• If there is a sidewalk, use it. If you must walk in the street, walk on the left FACING TRAFFIC.
• Wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night, or at dawn or dusk.
• Even if it is your turn to cross at a light, make eye contact with any approaching vehicles.
• Look out for drivers who seem distracted or who are driving strangely. Move farther away from the road if you are concerned.
• Don’t walk distracted; look up from your cellphone when crossing a street, or better still, put it away entirely when walking along a busy road.

Established in 1964, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission promotes collaboration among communities, stakeholders, and residents to advance regional priorities. MVRPC is a forum and resource where the Board of Directors identifies priorities and develops public policy and collaborative strategies to improve quality of life throughout the Miami Valley Region. MVRPC performs various regional planning activities, including air quality, water quality, transportation, land use, research and GIS. As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), MVRPC is responsible for transportation planning in Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties and parts of northern Warren County. MVRPC's areawide water quality planning designation encompasses five (5) counties: Darke, Preble plus the three MPO counties.

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