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Community Corner

Another Spring, Another Street Smart Campaign

The semi-annual safety campaign is here again. But it's not going to give us safer streets.

Around this time every year Arlington – and surrounding jurisdictions – engages in a safety campaign called Street Smart. The stated goal of the Street Smart campaign is to “to change motorist and pedestrian behavior, and reduce pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries.”

Honestly, I can’t say that I think the Street Smart campaign contributes much to accomplishing those goals. That isn’t to say it doesn’t have some good points to make – I agree with all of the tips it gives pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers

However, the Street Smart campaign suffers from two serious flaws that keep it from being effective – poor implementation on the street, and the fact that even when it’s done right, it’s much too short an effort. 

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Every year there’s plenty of local stories of silly misinterpretations of the law by poorly informed patrol officers involved in the campaign. And only sustained enforcement of crosswalk, passing and right-of-way laws will lead to an appreciable change in behavior.

So if I don’t much like the Street Smart campaign, what do I like? Well, I’ve . I like the positive messaging and the practical tips that go beyond the law. But that, too, suffers from a lack of significant year-round implementation resources.

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While I remain convinced that the only path to lasting change in attitudes towards street safety is cultural, I do like the many campaigns out there focusing on the dangers of distracted driving. It’s a message we’re hearing in the media regularly, and I see the results in the conversations – and behaviors – of the people around me. But there’s still a long way to go.

What else works? For cyclists, I’d say self-policing can be far more effective than lectures from non-cyclists. I’m not suggesting wagging a finger at the fellow cyclist who rolls through an empty four-way stop. Rather, I’d ask that riders step up to make a conscious effort to set examples of good cyclist behavior. 

More than once I’ve stopped at a light along Wilson Boulevard and had a cyclist – who had just rolled the previous light – stop next to me. Over time, that behavior gets normalized to the point that those who do roll the light will be minimized by the social pressure. 

Will there still be some who blow the lights? Sure, just like there are still drivers who speed through school zones. But like driving slowly in a school zone, the real reason for compliance is that it’s accepted as the right thing to do – not because a policeman might be watching.

In the end, temporary campaigns just won’t accomplish much. But a personal decision to actively be a part of a safer street culture? That’s the long term win for everyone.

Mark Blacknell is chair of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee, president of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and a League Cycling Instructor.

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