Street Smart Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Campaign

1
Street Smart Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
Campaign
Item 11

• Briefing to the Transportation Planning Board
• March 19, 2008

Michael Farrell, TPB Staff
2
The Problem Pedestrian and Bicyclist Deaths
Total 419 Fatalities
3
The Street Smart Campaign

• Concentrated waves of radio, transit, and
  Internet advertising
• Designed to change driver and pedestrian behavior
• Supported by concurrent law enforcement
• Evaluation Before and after survey
• Funded by federal safety grants with matching
  contributions from WMATA, TPB member governments
• Now done twice per year, timed with the changes
  to and from Daylight Savings Time
• Current campaign throughout the month of March

4
Why Have a Media Campaign?

• Three Es of Safety Engineering, Education, and
  Enforcement
• Street Smart educates through mass media
• Drive-time radio reaches drivers while they drive
• Transit ads at targeted locations reach
  pedestrians while they walk
• Highly publicized law enforcement
• A single campaign for a single media market
• Other programs address other aspects of
  Pedestrian Safety
• School-Based Education
• The Safe Routes to School Program
• Driver Education/Licensing

5
March 2008 Media Campaign

• Radio 450 spots 93,000
• Transit 117,000
• Transit Shelters 22
• Bus Sides 115
• Interior Cards 400
• Mobile Billboard 1
• Collateral Materials 21,000
• Posters 4,500
• Handouts 100,000
• Internet 2.4 million impressions 28,000
• Newspaper 31,000
• Web Site http//streetsmart.mwcog.org
  5,000
• Public Relations 16,000
• Campaign Creation/Production 78,000
• Total 389,000

6
Kick-Off Press Event

• Held Friday, March 7
• Hosted by Supervisor Penny Gross in the Baileys
  Crossroads area of Fairfax County
• Board Members, Regional Officials, and Police
  Chiefs spoke or were present to show their
  support
• Presence of over two dozen police officers from
  agencies around the region demonstrated law
  enforcement commitment
• Most press coverage ever
• Television
• Radio
• Washington Post, Examiner, Associated Press

7
Coordination with Law Enforcement

• Enforcement is key
• The press loves to report it
• Ads get more attention if there is enforcement
• Enforcement gets more attention if there are ads
• Briefings and coordination with COG Police Chiefs
  Committee
• New this year pedestrian safety enforcement
  best practices training workshop at COG/TPB on
  February 28, attended by more than 50 police
  officers
• Area police agencies report significant
  enforcement activity in conjunction with the
  campaign

File photo of Arlington County Police speed
enforcement in a pedestrian area. Source ACPD
8
Coordination with Transit,Regional Pedestrian
Safety Efforts

• Participation and funding from WMATA
• Transit ads focus on pedestrian safety near buses
• In conjunction with other current WMATA safety
  efforts
• Announcement
• Regional Pedestrian Safety Workshop
• Tuesday, April 29, 2008
• National Press Club
• Sponsored by WMATA, COG, TPB, AAA, and Other
  Agencies

9
2008 Street Smart FundingTotal Budget Covering
Both the Spring and Fall CampaignsCommitted to
Date

District of Columbia Department of Transportation 200,000
Maryland SHA 130,300
Virginia DMV 100,000
WMATA 150,000
Local Government Contributions 168,800
Private Contributions and Other TBD
   
Total 749,100
Federal pass-through
10
Outlook Next Steps

• Fall campaign for November will be a continuation
  of the same campaign
• Funding for FY 2009
• Letters requesting voluntary contributions at the
  agreed level of five cents per capita have been
  sent to the TPB member governments (as per TPB
  Resolution R20-2005)
• Local funding is critical to provide match for
  federal grants, and to support the TPB
  recommendation of a twice-yearly campaign
• Sustained effort over years is needed to
  reinforce the campaign messages and ensure
  long-run impact on safety
• For more details see http//streetsmart.mwcog.org