Minneapolis and St. Paul are engaged on new efforts with researchers from the College of Minnesota to make crosswalks safer for pedestrians.

Giant blue indicators, up to date weekly, will now present the speed that drivers have been yielding to pedestrians at choose websites. The intention is to boost consciousness and assist communities monitor their progress, researchers stated.

A examine — which started in April and can finish in November — is measuring what number of drivers cease for individuals crossing the road and the way numerous engineering remedies might have an effect on pedestrian security at crossings.

“We’re hoping that we’ll begin to start to see tradition change throughout all the metropolis, even the place native engineering has not been applied,” stated Nichole Morris, director of the College of Minnesota’s HumanFirst Laboratory, which is main the trouble.

Researchers have chosen 32 websites for his or her examine, funded by the Minnesota Division of Transportation. Some websites will obtain further indicators, markings and different traffic-calming measures, whereas different websites can be monitored for comparability.

In Minneapolis, crosswalks are already being improved with white markings. The town has seen a lift in drivers’ compliance to pedestrian legal guidelines since including markings to the pavement, Morris stated.

The researchers exit twice per week to look at and act as stage pedestrians to measure what number of drivers cease, conserving tallies till they make 20 crossings, Morris stated.

Within the final 5 years, there have been greater than 2,598 crashes involving pedestrians in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Of these, greater than 400 concerned youth, together with 183 youngsters ages 10 and below, in response to the Minnesota Division of Public Security. Over the past 18 months, deadly and extreme crashes that contain rushing or reckless driving elevated considerably within the two cities and throughout the nation. Final 12 months, greater than 70% of deadly crashes in Minneapolis concerned excessive speeds.

In St. Paul, police and researchers have been engaged on altering motorists’ habits concerning intersections for just a few years. In 2016 and 2017, in a marketing campaign known as “Cease for Me,” St. Paul police fanned out to intersections all through town to observe and ticket motorists who didn’t cease for pedestrians, or who carried out different harmful behaviors comparable to passing a car that was stopped for somebody in a crosswalk. Change, officers stated, was badly wanted.

In 2016, 188 pedestrians had been hit by motorists in St. Paul. The next 12 months, that quantity rose to 192. There have been three or extra pedestrians killed annually for the previous few years, stated police spokesman Steve Linders. Three have been killed up to now this 12 months.

Researchers assume that Cease for Me might have had an impact within the years that adopted. After one other effort in 2018, drivers stopped for pedestrians at crosswalks as usually as 83% of the time, up from 32%, primarily based on researcher observations.

Morris stated St. Paul drivers seem to have gotten the crosswalk message higher than these in Minneapolis. Final week, 52% of drivers had been stopping for pedestrians at examine places in St. Paul and 36% at places in Minneapolis.

Is that due to Cease for Me?

“It is actually arduous for me to say,” Morris stated. “However there has not been a Cease for Me in Minneapolis.”

Each Minneapolis and St. Paul leaders hope to attain related success this 12 months with the brand new pedestrian effort.

The brand new security program can also be encouraging group members to take a pledge that helps drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists decide to secure practices, comparable to following the brand new Minneapolis and St. Paul citywide pace limits of 20 miles per hour until in any other case posted, stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks, and crossing roadways in a “predictable” method.

To be taught extra concerning the pedestrian security analysis mission, together with the examine places, go to tcsafetycup.umn.edu/study-information.

jim.walsh@startribune.com • 612-673-7428

faiza.mahamud@startribune.com • 612-673-4203