Pedestrian deaths in Fresno are up. Do city leaders care enough to do something drastic?
Every morning, between 7:30 and 8, Abelina Ortiz-De Garcia took her dog for a walk in her neighborhood near Fresno High.
But on the morning of April 27, only Ortiz-De Garcia’s dog made it home. The 76-year-old (a mother of eight with 30 grandkids) was struck and killed as she crossed McKinley Avenue near Harrison Avenue. The driver told police he never saw her.
At least that driver stopped and cooperated. That wasn’t the case on May 13, when a hit-and-run driver killed 29-year-old Monique Contreraz (as well as her dog) at Herndon and Milburn avenues and dragged her body 8 miles. The next day police located the suspect, who critically injured himself during the arrest by jumping out of a three-story window.
Ortiz-De Garcia and Contreraz are just two of the 14 pedestrians killed on Fresno roadways during 2022, according to the Fresno Police Department’s latest figures. Those 14 deaths put the city on a pace to exceed last year’s total of 22. Fresno had 29 pedestrian fatalities in 2020, preceded by 20 in 2019 and 25 in 2018.
So this isn’t a recent trend. In California’s fifth-largest city, more than 20 pedestrian deaths per year is perfectly normal.
Those dubious achievements were recognized earlier this month in a new study, which named Fresno as the 10th most dangerous in the U.S. for pedestrians.
Soon after the Dangerous by Design 2022 report made the local news, three more Fresno residents died on foot in collisions with vehicles in a span of 11 days.
As if to enforce the point.
All three of the latest victims were in their 50s, and all three deaths occurred on arterial streets in Fresno’s core. Two of the “accidents” (a loaded word that may not reflect what really happened) were at night, and in both of those instances the driver sped away.
So many tragic deaths that we become numb to them unless personally affected.
Behind-the-scenes push for Vision Zero
Is there a way out of this senseless cul-de-sac? There absolutely is, but reducing pedestrian fatalities will first require a high degree of buy-in from Fresno’s city leaders. We’ll soon find out if they’re even receptive to the initial steps.
During Wednesday night’s meeting of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, members discussed asking the Fresno City Council, at its Aug. 18 meeting, to approve an application for a federal transportation grant that would allow city staff to develop a Vision Zero plan.
Vision Zero, in case you’re wondering, is a global movement (adopted by 20 cities since it became Sweden’s national road policy in 1997) to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries under the premise that both are unacceptable and preventable. The way to do that requires a systemic approach, one that emphasizes safety over speed, specifically designed for each city’s road network.
“We’ve laid the groundwork on this so it shouldn’t be a total surprise to (council members), and I’m hoping there is the political support to adopt a Vision Zero program in Fresno,” said Tony Molina, a former BPAC member who serves on its Vision Zero task force.
“The need for this has only been amplified by recent events, so the stage is hopefully set.”
Jill Gormley, the city’s traffic engineer, told BPAC members that Fresno is eyeing a piece of the $1 billion federal Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program. The deadline for fiscal year 2022 applications is Sept. 15.
If Fresno’s elected leaders commit to the initial step of developing a Vision Zero program, actually implementing it will require even more federal dollars. Fortunately, for cities committed to taking serious steps toward reducing road fatalities, there are plenty available.
“Vision Zero will require a complete paradigm shift,” Molina said, “but the thing is there’s money. And money talks.”
Low turnout for bike & pedestrian committee
Is Fresno ready for such a shift, even if fully funded by Uncle Sam? That’s where my doubts start to creep in. Wednesday night’s meeting was a good example.
Created in 2004, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s stated purpose is to “advise and recommend policies for the planning, development and maintenance of pedestrian and bikeway systems for safe and enjoyable circulation for both utilitarian commuting travel and recreation within the City.”
According to its charter, the BPAC “shall have no fewer than nine voting members” ― one appointed by each of the seven council members and two by the mayor. However, the current member roster only lists seven names due to long-standing vacancies in both District 1 and District 5. By September, two more seats are expected to come open.
Just four of the seven current BPAC members attended Wednesday’s Zoom meeting. The public turnout was equally sparse. (I watched on CMAC.) There was no sign of Carla Gonzalez, the city’s active transportation coordinator. Among city staff, only Gormley stayed the entire time.
While a few topics and presentations merited good discussions, it felt like something was missing. Mainly, a robust degree of participation and sense of urgency.
We are talking about human life and severe injury, after all.
“We really need all the voices from all the different districts to be involved in this,” said Molina, a retired physician who chairs the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition.
Or maybe Fresno doesn’t care enough to change, and those two dozen pedestrian deaths per year (plus anywhere from three to six cyclist fatalities) are simply the cost of our 50 mph speeding habits.
We’ll soon see.
