Aftermath Of Hit-And-Run Tragedy: Town Must Get Tough On Safe Access

Just days after runner Douglas M. Williams was killed by a hit-and-run driver, Bike and Walk Montclair is urging the township to get "more serious" about providing safe access for all people, whether they are walking or driving.

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday night, Williams, 49, was struck near Upper Mountain Avenue and Van Vleck Street while walking in the road's marked-off shoulder.

On Monday, Laura Torchio, president of Bike and Walk Montclair, said the township needs dedicated facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians that are designed, operated, and maintained so that anyone can get around safely.

"This means well-maintained sidewalks and crosswalks, bike lanes, shared markings for bike/auto lanes, pedestrian-scale lighting for sidewalks and alleys, etc.," she said. "What these types of facilities do is delineate a preferred space for non-motorized travel plus cue motorists to expect bicyclists and pedestrians along and across our public streets."

But Torchio warned that infrastructure alone isn't the answer.

"There are so many other factors including self responsibility (drive, ride and walk predictably and courteously), being seen at night (bright/reflective clothes), avoiding distractions while driving (eating, texting), and so many more issues," she said. "Awareness, education, and enforcement are key—but still, well-designed infrastructure raises expectations, increases self-enforcement, and reduces risk."

Torchio pointed out that Williams was apparently walking in a "shoulder" and not a bike lane when he was struck Saturday night.

"They are designed as shoulders. Period. There is nothing to raise a motorist's expectations that a bicyclist or a pedestrian might be using that space," she said. "And it's easy to start a debate about whether a person should be walking or biking along or across certain streets because they're deemed 'less safe' than others.

"But what we need to remember and insist upon is that our streets provide us access to our destinations—whether for recreation or transportation—and every street should have appropriate accommodations for all users," she said. "Last I checked, there were no limited access interstate highways in Montclair so, legally, bicycling and walking are allowed."

Torchio said a watered-down Complete Streets policy may garner some recognition and grant money, but "it means nothing until we take bold steps toward designing, operating, and maintaining our circulation system for use by all and taking a no-exceptions approach to traffic and parking violations."

In October 2009, Montclair set a state milestone when it became the first New Jersey municipality to adopt a Complete Streets policy. The policy was designed to ensure that new construction and road renewal accommodate travel by pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit, as well as motorized vehicles.

“We as a society are moving in a new direction for addressing climate change, health issues, and sustainability, so in addition to road safety, the policy promotes healthy lifestyles, and helps reduce traffic congestion and reliance on carbon fuels,” said Mayor Jerry Fried at the time. “It also makes fiscal sense—a ‘Complete Streets’ policy incorporates important safety amenities into the initial design of road projects, saving taxpayer dollars for expensive retrofitting at a later time.”

Fried, who co-founded the advocacy group Bike and Walk Montclair in 2002, has said it's been hard to get bike lanes as "Montclair's governing body is not consistently dedicated to bike safety."

In the end, Torchio noted that it's imposssible to stop ignorant people from driving while distracted, "but we can put in place enough traffic-calming, dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and increased enforcement so that it's uncomfortable to drive stupidly."