DTH article about N.C. 54 misconstrued comments

TO THE EDITOR:   

I thank The Daily Tar Heel for writing an article on local road safety. (No changes on road stretch"" April 15) I hope they will continue to explore this topic.

I do wish to correct one impression attributed to me in this story about pedestrian activity on N.C. 54.

I was apparently misunderstood to say that most pedestrians do not cross N.C. 54 in non-designated areas.

I meant to say that few pedestrians seem to be walking in the particular area where Gloria Espinosa Balderas was struck.

Since there are few designated areas"" for pedestrians to cross along much of the N.C. 54 corridor" pedestrians accessing transit stops and housing on opposite sites of the highway must cross at undesignated areas as others in the article indicated.

I had added that pedestrians can be found virtually anywhere in our area including many locations where motorists may not expect them (because the environment may not look like a place where pedestrians would be walking with a lack of lighting lack of sidewalks etc.).

To expand on the article engineering treatments such as signs signals and lighting can offer safety improvement at busier pedestrian areas such as near the transit stops.

But considering that pedestrians may cross at any point along any road on the network area-wide improvements may be needed.

Such improvements will take both time and money and there may be trade-offs with other community desires.

Drivers also have it at their disposal to improve safety by being attentive to the driving environment at all times" and obeying speed limits so they have time to react to pedestrians and/or bicyclists who may be in both expected and unexpected places at expected and unexpected times.

And pedestrians can protect themselves by being ""conspicuous"" day or night; that is" carry a light and wear retroreflective materials when walking during dark hours.

Pedestrians should also be aware that it may be difficult to estimate the speed and distance of vehicles at night and act accordingly.

 

Libby Thomas

Research Associate

The University of North Carolina Highway Research Center