Jaxon Baker addressing the Madison Common Council
October was Pedestrian Safety Month, a time to promote safer and more welcoming communities for everyone. The month also included White Cane Safety Day on October 15, recognized every year as opportunity to raise awareness of White Cane Laws. In Wisconsin, drivers must stop at least 10 feet from a pedestrian using a white cane or a guide dog. Everyone is a pedestrian some of the time, but for the 31% of Wisconsin residents who do not drive, including people with vision loss, pedestrian safety is a critical issue that affects their lives every day. Throughout October, the Council worked hard to affirm the rights and safety of pedestrians across the state.
As in past years, the Council ran ads on the sides of buses promoting pedestrian safety in three cities across the state. This year, our ads appeared in La Crosse, Waukesha and Green Bay. While in the past our bus ads highlighted White Cane Safety Day, this year they had a broader Pedestrian Safety Month focus. The theme of the ads was “Intersections Are For Everyone,” reminding drivers to stop for all pedestrians who are trying to cross the street.
The Council works on pedestrian safety year-round, urging local leaders to make their communities safer for all pedestrians through key infrastructure changes they can make their neighborhoods. These are a few that we emphasize:
- Accessible pedestrian signals can be placed at either controlled or uncontrolled intersections and tell both the pedestrian and drivers that someone is trying to cross the street. T
- Curb ramps provide a smooth transition from the sidewalk to the road. Correctly placed curb ramps align with the crosswalk so that pedestrians with vision loss can know they are crossing safely. Curb ramps are also painted bright colors so that they can be seen by people with low vision and have a textured tactile warning field to tell cane users they are entering a crosswalk.
- Connected sidewalk networks is a community enable pedestrians to get wherever they need to go with as few street crossings as possible.
Throughout October, the Council worked tirelessly to call for these and other infrastructure features. But we didn’t do it alone; advocates across the state worked with their local leaders to make their communities safer for all pedestrians by putting these features in place. As part of Pedestrian Safety Month, we released a Pedestrian Safety Toolkit to help advocates in their journey. You can find it on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Pedestrian-Safety-Month-And-White-Cane-Safety-Day.
Many local governments and the State of Wisconsin also helped our cause by issuing Pedestrian Safety Month and White Cane Safety Day proclamations, formally recognizing the need to protect all pedestrians. This year, 42 there were proclamations in all. Thank you to Governor Tony Evers and leaders in every municipality who affirmed their commitment to the safety of pedestrians in their community.
People from different walks of life had the opportunity to share with their elected officials the importance of these proclamations. Jaxon Baker, a program associate at the Council, spoke before the Madison Common Council about the importance of their proclamation. Jaxon is blind in one eye and has several family members who share a genetic condition that causes progressive vision loss. “For my family, walking through Madison is an exercise in trust—trust in our infrastructure, and trust in our neighbors,” Jaxon said. “That trust is being rewarded by the excellent work already underway in Madison.”
Council board member Jenn Zutter, who has a daughter with vision loss, spoke before the Sun Prairie City Council as they issued their White Cane Safety Day proclamation. Jenn says the proclamation in Sun Prairie sends a message that her family is welcome in the community. “When we first learned of our daughter’s diagnosis, we had many questions and concerns, with safety being at the very top of the list,” Jenn said. “As a non-driver, walking is independence. It’s freedom. It’s autonomy. For my daughter, it meant being able to walk to a friend’s house, walk to school or go on runs in the city to train for her running and skiing careers.”
You can learn more about pedestrian safety on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Pedestrian-Safety-Month-And-White-Cane-Safety-Day.