New Haven Independent

Posted by: keith | May 23, 2008 11:22 AM

I understand these people's point, but jumping in front of moving cars sounds like just about the dumbest way possible to try to solve the problem. When this Diaz guy gets made into a squishy speed bump, I am ready to nominate him for a Darwin award.

Posted by: robn | May 23, 2008 12:12 PM

if the city isn't willing to enforce its own traffic and noise laws to ensure the safety and comfort of its own citzens then citizens will take it into their own hands...and hopefully remember to vote on the issue next election.

Posted by: DesignNewHaven | May 23, 2008 12:27 PM

A major grassroots initiative on citywide traffic safety is about to be announced by some of the community management teams and other nonprofits in New Haven. People are fed up with people traveling at unsafe speeds, constantly putting themselves and their neighbors in grave danger.

Keep your eyes open.

Posted by: Jhnahan | May 23, 2008 1:28 PM

Reckless driving is a serious problem in this city. I have had many close calls as a pedestrian. Other problems include pedestrians who do not cross at crosswalks or wait for crossing signals (York, Elm, Broadway), and cyclists who do not stop at red lights or stop signs. Perhaps these "red light cameras" will help with these related problems, too.

Posted by: Brian | May 23, 2008 1:52 PM

Hopefully if they start enforcing traffic rules, they will start ticketing people for j walking and cyclists for breaking the traffic rules as well. This city is the perfect storm of aggressive north east drivers, aloof pedestrians, and uneducated cyclists. I say this as a cyclist (who has been hit while riding), pedestrian (who has been hit while walking), and motorist (who has almost hit a ton of people) in this city.

Posted by: Edward_H | May 23, 2008 4:07 PM

I am just waiting for this guy to step in front of an elderly person who gets startled and hits the gas instead of the brake.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | May 23, 2008 5:28 PM

Not to be insensitive, but isn't there any blame to be placed on the victim for walking out into what she knew was a busy traffic lane without looking? That's no different than a child running after a ball into the street! I would expect that much from a 5 yr old, but a med student? This isn't Holyoke.

Posted by: downtownnewhaven | May 23, 2008 6:18 PM

Fedup, you are missing the point entirely.

There are hundreds of thousands of pedestrians injured or killed on our roads every year, and much of those injuries would be entirely preventable if we had more awareness and more sensible policies. For example, pedestrians hit at 20MPH have a 5% fatality rate, while those hit at 30MPH have a 40% fatality rate.

There is a reason why speeds in dense urban centers are limited to 15-20MPH in European cities. It is called common sense.

You wouldn't flagrantly violate the law, and drive through your family's living room at 30MPH, so how is it acceptable to do that in someone's front yard?

A citywide traffic safety petition may be viewed here:

http://www.gopetition.com/online/19519.html

Posted by: john | May 23, 2008 8:20 PM

Sorry to say, but as tragic as this accident was, and as bad as this intersection is. This accident was just that. the driver involved did nothing wrong Mila Rainof actually try to beat the traffic, and was struck. The driver had a green light. Sorry for everyone's loss.

Posted by: observer | May 24, 2008 12:17 AM

I am just back from two days in Boston, after an absence of more than 20 years, and I was amazed, absolutely amazed, at how a state law in Massachusetts that requires drivers to yield for pedestrians in a crosswalk is obeyed. This was Boston! Known for the worst drivers in the world! (Except maybe now New Haven is claiming that title.) Pedestrians know their rights, and make it clear that they are going to claim them, as they start to cross. Drivers willingly drive slowly, on alert, and yield at crosswalks. Signs in the middle of many crosswalks announce in no uncertain terms that state law requires drivers to yield. It works. If Boston, of all places, can make this happen, then New Haven could do it also. It would take leadership, and public activism.

I don't know if Massachusetts has cameras at red lights, but I believe that Maryland does. It would be an excellent idea for New Haven and Connecticut. The idea that privacy rights are violated by such cameras is nonsense, because they are placed in public places, not private. As for the argument that they capture only license plate numbers and do not identify the actual driver of a car, well, there is absolutely nothing wrong with holding a car owner responsible for the use of his car, regardless of who is driving it. A somewhat analogous example is holding tavern owners responsible for serving liquor to people who then go out to become drunk drivers. This is a public safety issue. Emphasis on public. The runners of red lights in this city -- some of whom actually START to enter an intersection AFTER the opposing light has turned GREEN -- so you know how LONG their OWN light has been RED at that point -- are absolutely unbelievable. Honk at them, or otherwise let them know they are wrong, and sheesh! the vituperative reaction you receive in return. This is, of course, entirely backwards. THEY are the ones who are wrong. We allow this backwards situation to persist, and state legislators refuse to do anything about it. It is appalling that it takes a tragedy like Mila Rainof's death to focus attention on this problem, when the danger is obvious every day. It is certain that more tragedies will occur, unless both politicians and the public get really, really agitated.

Posted by: david streever | May 24, 2008 4:26 PM

The way people drive is pathetic. I saw a woman run a red light on Chestnut into Chapel today, with a moving van on the right, so she couldn't even see if any traffic was coming.

What is wrong with people?

it's lazy, self-important nonsense.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | May 25, 2008 7:53 AM

Downtownnewhaven,

So, we're going to lower the speed of vehicles so that people can still walk blindly into traffic and just get maimed instead of killed? Makes sense! Don't prepare people for the real world and teach them not to put their hand on top of the stove, just lower the temperature of the stovetop. Yes! I think I get it!!

BTW, I think that the reason why European traffic is slower in dense areas is that the congestion is so great. Sort of like travelling down 95 South at 8 in the morning around Bridgeport. You can walk faster.

Posted by: nfjanette | May 25, 2008 3:17 PM

Pedestrians know their rights, and make it clear that they are going to claim them, as they start to cross.

Pedestrians have the "right" to obey the same traffic laws. Those laws dictate that pedestrians may not enter the crosswalk when a presented with a flashing or solid red signal. Yet, they do so with regularity in New Haven, and especially around the Yale academic and medical campuses. Foolish, life-threatening arrogance abounds all around in this equation - not merely on the part of the vehicle drivers.

Posted by: DowntownNewHaven | May 25, 2008 7:35 PM

Fedup, many European cities (as well as many American cities) set and strictly enforce speed limits of 15-20 MPH in city centers and residential neighborhoods. I've pointed out the common sense reasons for that above, reasons that could save tens of thousands of lives per year. Let me know if you want examples.

Crosswalk safety (and traffic safety in general) is a major, red-hot issue of concern in New Haven across all neighborhoods in the city. If you haven't been or haven't seen a friend or relative seriously maimed in a traffic accident, perhaps that explains your "wishful thinking" here.

John, please explain to us how you are so certain that the car in this case was following the rules. Are you a police investigator? Are you sure that the driver wasn't traveling at a speed greater than 25.0 MPH or talking on a cell phone? Because I would venture a guess that more than 50% of drivers traveling through that intersection each day demonstrate their lack of respect for other people by violating one of those rules.

Posted by: jms | May 26, 2008 12:53 AM

If the consensus is that the only real problem here is lack of enforcement... they why was this protest not held in front of city hall? Just curious. Standing in traffic yelling and waving signs at oblivious drivers seems like nothing more then a sure fire way to bump up the accident (or road rage) statistics. That intersection doesn't need a bunch of protesters... it needs police car parked on the corner during peak hours to deter violations and as a result prevent accidents. Pretty simple.

JMS

Posted by: dave | May 26, 2008 7:09 AM

CAMERAS-CAMERAS-CAMERAS_CAMERAS!!!!!!!!!!
I thought thought doing the crime was against the law. So why not give the police better tools to enforce the law. Just be sure the camera isn't run by the same guys as the boot findewr, who let their buddies get away. If the rules aren't good for all they're good for nothing

Posted by: robn | May 26, 2008 8:41 AM

NFJ got me thinking about the state statute pertaining to crosswalkes. What surprises me is that CT does seem to have a pretty firm crosswalk law; except in signalled intersections, pedestrians have right of way once they step to the curb. I guess what we're lacking is enforecement.

http://search.cga.ct.gov/dtsearch.asp?cmd=getdoc&DocId=646&Index=I%3a%5czindex%5c1994&HitCount=9&hits=6e+7b+7e+a9+b6+d4+dc+12d+13a+&hc=97&req=crosswalk&Item=2

http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dtsearch_olr.asp?cmd=getdoc&DocId=18235&Index=I:\zindex\1997&HitCount=1&hits=51b+&hc=1&req=(number+contains+173)+&Item=0

Posted by: observer | May 26, 2008 1:16 PM

NFJANETTE,

Yes, of course pedestrians need to obey the traffic laws also. I should have made clear that I was talking about intersections (and sometimes even mid-block crossings) where there are clearly marked crosswalks but no traffic lights.

Posted by: dana b | May 26, 2008 6:33 PM

In defense of John, I read that the police did not cite the driver for any infraction in this terrible accident. I also read that the victim was j-walking at the time of the accident. These two reported facts may be revised or reversed at some later time. But for the time being it is reasonable to assume that the victim was largely responsible for her own untimely death.

Posted by: Chris Gray | May 27, 2008 12:38 AM

All the while this discussion rages on, the price at the pump keeps going up and even my sister, who uses the air-rights garage every day, is talking more seriously of taking a shuttle bus the hospital offers.

The system we designed and have been using for nearly a hundred years is creaking to a halt. We've got to come up with something better than shouting at each other how stupid and selfish we all are.

Posted by: we need safe streets now | May 27, 2008 9:12 AM

Great point, Chris. And if you think the price of gas is high now, many analysts forecast it to hit $12-$15 per gallon within the next year. It's time to change things now before it is too late.

Posted by: Dee | May 27, 2008 12:12 PM

There are cameras at York & Frontage and have been for years. That is how we know Mila jetted out in front of traffic at a green light barely getting hit by the first two cars before the third unwittingly hit her. They had the right of way. She did not. The video proves it. Her family knows already. Smart girl. Stupid choice. Tragic outcome for all involved.

Posted by: Celia | May 27, 2008 5:08 PM

While I would agree that many operate their vehicles with dangerous aggression, New Haven has another very serious traffic problem, students who cannot or will not look both ways before crossing the street. Jaywalking around both Yale and SCSU is ubiquitous. I keep my brakes in tip top condition as I am constantly stopping short around BOTH campuses as someone decides to dart out into the street as if it were an open field of lush green grass. I have been rear-ended twice while avoiding striking a pedestrian near one or the other campus of the New Haven universities. The (presumably) student scampered off while I dealt with the damage to my vehicle, including my insurance deductable with one uninsured driver. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm happy I didn't hit either of those kids, but will either of them own up to the responsibility of the damage to my vehicle and waste of my time? (waiting for police, missing appointment, getting car repaired, etc.)

Mila's death is a truly horrific tragedy. It should be a wake up call for reckless drivers AND for foolish pedestrians.

Posted by: we need safe streets now | May 27, 2008 9:34 PM

I agree, Celia, but a strategy to address those problems must be comprehensive in its scope. (It is also worth pointing out that if the rest of the traffic in that pedestrian-rich environment you speak of had been moving at 15MPH, like traffic does in dense city centers in many other places, it is very unlikely that you would have been rear-ended.)

Anyhow, please sign the petition that is currently linked to on the above website - newhavensafestreets.org - which can help our community effectively come together to 1) raise awareness of traffic safety issues within every neighborhood, 2) save lives by leading to improved metrics and traffic enforcement and 3) build broad-based political and community support for major change at the regional and state levels, all of which will ultimately allow our city to be more successful.

Posted by: Brian | May 28, 2008 10:12 AM

Has an e-petition ever done anything, ever? Go out and get real signatures from real people, that might actually prove a point instead on an anonymous online unverifiable e-petition. Just sayin.

Posted by: sickofYale | May 28, 2008 10:39 AM

While I agree that there is an inexcusable amount of reckless drivers on the streets of New Haven, I am also sick and tired of Yale students thinking that the streets of New Haven are campus pathways. These kids walk right into the road without looking either way, completely clueless to their environment. In the many years I have worked in New Haven I cant tell you how many times I have been driving the speed limit and following the rules of the road and had a Yale student walk right out in front of my car. These kids come from their little suburban towns and think they own the city. It gets so frustrating that I have heard people say they would like to "bump" one of them not to hurt them but to teach them a lesson about walking around New Haven. Yale's orientation needs to include a session on how to cross streets. And for those students who run out in front of traffic-here's a thought-leave your dorm earlier so you arent in such a rush to get to class. For such "smart" students I've never seen such stupidity.

Id like to see a petition on teaching Yale students how to cross a street.

Posted by: Ali | May 28, 2008 11:43 AM

I share the frustration encountering careless pedestrians but what bothers me more are the pedestrians who are on the verge of confrontational. I've had people - and this is not limited to the Yale area - saunter out in front of my car and leisurely cross the road against the light. They sometimes look but cross anyway, they don't care. In fact, they seem to be just daring someone to hit them. While the case of this student was a different set of circumstances, the fact remains that pedestrians need to remember that in the end, they are smaller than a car and can be easily killed or seriously injured. So take the defensive and be smart crossing the street. I say that as a trying-to-reform myself j-walker.

None of this excuses speeding/cell phone talking/red light running and all other poor driving habits. But the problem is larger than enforcement: to me there seems to be a mentality of self-importance and entitlement that makes people think that it is ok (for them) to violate various laws. Give me the petition to change that and we'll all be safer - on any road.

Posted by: we need safe streets now | May 28, 2008 11:45 AM

SickofYale, as far as I know, those Yale students haven't ever killed someone else through their reckless behavior, so your point probably isn't as high of a priority when compared to the pedestrians, children, hospital patients, disabled individuals, etc., who are being injured or killed by reckless drivers on a regular basis across the entire city. If the concentration of pedestrians is so high in a certain area, the most rational and logical response -- one that any other progressive city in the world would take -- would be to lower traffic speeds to 15MPH to minimize risk (and prevent rear-ending).

The injuries and deaths simply need to stop - we have known for decades how to do that, so let's do it.

Brian, you are correct that a petition - whether it is an epetition or a paper petition (both of which are being collected - paper versions are available if you would like) - won't do anything on its own. But what a petition can do is help raise citywide awareness and help people come together around the issue. Also, you will notice that the petition has official, confirmed lists of supporters, such as Senator Harp and various community groups -- not just e-signatures -- and will have many more in the weeks to come.

Posted by: sickofYale | May 28, 2008 12:17 PM

Safe streets-I am not condoning the reckless driving that plagues the streets of New Haven-I am commenting on the stupidity of Yale students or anyone else who walk into the streets without looking to see if traffic is coming. ALL pedestrians, students, residents, hospital patients, etc. need to take responsiblity for their own safety. Knowing how people drive in this city I would never cross a street unless I've looked both ways TWICE. As far as I know the speed limit on most of the city streets is 25mph-and still people go 50 or faster, and RARELY do you ever see the police pull people over. Is that really going to improve at 15mph? Why dont you ask New Haven Police why they dont bother pulling over speeders?

Posted by: dana b | May 28, 2008 4:42 PM

To We Need Safe Streets Now:

Most adult pedestrians are also sometime-drivers. Drivers don't want to go 15 mph though the city AND stop at countless red lights. It would be impractical and irritating. Most people don't want a pedestrian-friendly city. They want, instead, an equitable city for all kinds of transit -- public, car, bike, pedestrian, etc. For those reasons, I think you will never get majority support for what you think are necessary reforms.

Posted by: jackie | May 28, 2008 7:00 PM

SickOfYale
"I am commenting on the stupidity of Yale students or anyone else who walk into the streets without looking to see if traffic is coming."

Yeah, but, your name is "SickOfYale." Kinda makes your "or anyone else" fall a little flat.

I've asked the NHPD why they don't pull over speeders. They inevitably say, contrary to almost all indication, that they do. And if we see an officer who doesn't pull someone over, we should take their squad car number, badge, etc., and note the incident.

Is this really a useful response when it's obvious that no amount of talking to the department will produce a systematic address of this issue? It's got to come from the top.

Make it an issue in the next election. Alders, mayor, local legislators. We need to agitate--since it's obvious that the "traditions" of NH that involve running red lights and not using turn signals are not as trivial as they are shrugged off to be.

Posted by: John Wysolmerski | May 28, 2008 10:05 PM

I think that the back and forth argument regarding the relative fault of pedestrians versus drivers misses the main point. I would bet that many of the more aggressive drivers cross the street agressively and that cautious drivers also are cautious pedestrians. Also it is not about Yale or Southern students, it is about youth. I see the same behavior when I pass Wilbur Cross when students are arriving or getting out. My guess is that most of us have tried to beat a light either behind the wheel or on foot in our pasts, but that we do it less frequently as we get older. This is human nature and we do need to educate our children not to take silly chances. But, even with the best attempts, kids especially are going to keep doing this. Therefore, it really is the responsibility of the "system" to protect the vulnerable parties in this clash and, sorry to all you irritated drivers, but that will always be the pedestrians. We form societies and make rules to channel human nature into more civil paths after all. So, even if it means more hassle for drivers, speed limits should be enforced rigerously in the city and then lowered if need be. We should convert our wide one-way streets back to two-way traffic and we should get the legislature to change the law regarding video tickets and install the cameras all over the city. As for the intersection in question near the medical school, that entrance ramp onto the 34 connector should be closed or made accessable only to cars coming out of Air Rights garage. That will eliminate the very frequent occurrence of cars accelerating through the intersection to merge onto the highway entrance. These are simple things that can make an impact immediately. This tragedy should remind us to do better and get our community to do better as well.

Posted by: we need safe streets now | May 28, 2008 11:47 PM

Jackie and John, excellent points. I hope you will support the petition and ask your Aldermen to support it as well.

Dana B, the safe streets petition addresses all road users, not just drivers. I agree with you that people want an "equitable" system, but as John points out, equitable means making the city more pedestrian-friendly. The most successful cities in the world are pedestrian-friendly; if New Haven wants to grow economically (not to mention in an environmentally and socially friendly way) it needs to become pedestrian-friendly as well.

Would you want to move to a place where oil trucks were speeding down the road in front of your kid's school at 50MPH? It is happening here already -- see the New Haven Register article posted at the Safe Streets website, about Daniels School. Well, most people wouldn't want to live or work there either. Over the past few months, almost everyone we have talked with - hundreds of neighbors throughout New Haven - has been happy with the idea of traffic on their small neighborhood streets being slowed to 20MPH from the current speeds of 30MPH or more. Our streets are supposed to be neighborhood assets -- public "living rooms" where people can meet each other informally; places where their children can play outside without the fear of immediate death by a speeding SUV; places where a private car is not an absolute necessity for getting around (believe it or not); places that reflect on the values of our society as a whole. We have strayed very far away from those goals and it is time to come back to them. Especially in light of insurmountable scientific evidence that shows that unfriendly streets are not just unfriendly in severe ways to walking or bicycling, but even more unfriendly to our children, our health, our air, our economy, and our society as a whole.

Creating a pedestrian-friendly city does not mean 15MPH speed limits citywide with stop lights on every corner. Far from that, in fact. It is not rocket science either. It means a comprensive look at how to reduce traffic injuries by 90% by 2015, as well as increased awareness of traffic safety and traffic responsibility across the board by all road users, which is what we are advocating for. There are many ways to accomplish that, methods that cities around the country and around the world have been using for decades, ever since they realized around 1960 or so that urban streets should never be planned, designed or managed in the same way as interstate highways. We simply need to catch up and stop pretending that we are living in the 1950s.

Posted by: jon | May 29, 2008 5:26 PM

"DowntownNewHaven .

John, please explain to us how you are so certain that the car in this case was following the rules. Are you a police investigator?"

Well you hit the nail on the head. Like Dee already mention there was a video. that we saw she was not paying attention, and ran across the street. As bad as this intersection, is, and drivers do speed. this particular accident, was not a speeders fault, but a pedestrian fault. sadly but truly

Posted by: anon | May 30, 2008 7:53 AM

Jon - from a broader societal and ethical perspective, it is still the drivers fault. Drivers must use a reasonable speed, and reasonable caution, when going through areas with high volumes of traffic. Similarly with pedestrians or children. I could be wrong, but I would be willing to place a bet that the driver was not going 15 MPH or less, which he/she arguably should have been, because collisions at that speed very rarely result in death. I guess if drivers dont exercise reasonable caution themselves -- in a hospital area, of all places -- our society needs to start mandating it.

Posted by: david streever | May 30, 2008 10:27 AM

Cyclists are hit with increasing regularity,
and no tickets are issued.

Why bother issuing tickets????? The NHPD is way too busy!!!

Posted by: Edward_H | June 1, 2008 10:50 AM

anon

from a broader societal and ethical perspective, it is still the drivers fault.

Don't try to wrap your personal opinion in the cloak of some high minded "societal and ethical perpective". Following your so called "societal and ethical perpective" to its absurd conclusion if a driver attempts to dodge a train at a railroad crossing the resulting injuries or deaths are the fault of the railroad. Or does your perspective only kick in when dealing with pedestrians versus automobiles? How many MPH should trains reduce their speeds to at railroad crossing in case someone tries to drive across the tracks?

driver was not going 15 MPH or less, which he/she arguably should have been

Arguably if this particular driver had been going 15MPH the girl would have been hit by the person in the next lane who was going 25MPH+ who was trying to get around the person driving at 15MPH.

Arguably if all cars were traveling at 15MPH this would encourage more people to run into the street resulting in more frequent , although non life threatening, injuries.

Posted by: anon | June 1, 2008 10:49 PM

Edward, I think you miss the point, probably because you aren't spending that much time talking to the average New Haven resident:
1. New Haven has about 8000 reported traffic incidents per year, 20% of which are hit-and run, and based on various national figures, it is safe to assume that a very large number of additional incidents are not even reported. These incidents cause at least 100 very serious injuries or fatalities per year, plus hundreds more that are "less" serious but still cause permanent damage to human life. The level of related speeding, traffic enforcement issue and noise also causes staggering losses of property values, public resources (e.g., police time), and personal freedom. So by comparison, when was the last time someone was injured or killed at a train grade crossing in New Haven? A similar comparison for you: the government regulates tobacco and DUIs because of the hundreds of thousands of people killed and seriously maimed by those things each year - therefore becoming a problem affecting the entire society. It does not regulate apples, even though a few people choke on apple cores each year.
2. You have no evidence for that. In fact, studies done over the course of decades show that the rates of traffic injuries and fatalities are far lower in countries that prioritize people over Humvees traveling outside your front door at 50MPH. Besides, the point isn't where speed limits should be lowered or streets redesigned, it is that the current levels of injury, death, loss of property value and other related problems are completely unacceptable, and that our society must therefore take corrective measures.

Posted by: Douglas Willinger | September 29, 2008 6:37 PM

Why a movement to make the surface streets serve the role of the freeway?

Planners want to bring more vehicular traffic to the area with massive new real estate development, but they want to block the right of way that should continue below ground west of the Air Rights garage.

Seems to me the blood will be on the hands of those pushing this ill advised scheme to destroy the route 34 freeway.