If Hawai'i officials are serious about addressing pedestrian safety issues, they'll need a multipronged approach that goes far beyond what's being done now, according to safety officials in other cities with similar problems.

Many of the solutions will cost far more money than is being spent here and, in some cases, include such devices as traffic calming devices, rumble strips and red-light cameras that have proved unpopular with residents here.

Pedestrian safety officials in cities such as Portland, Seattle and Salt Lake City said it is possible to dramatically reduce pedestrian accidents when a comprehensive approach involving education, enforcement and engineering is put together in a highly visible way.

However, a national report on pedestrian safety suggests that many jurisdictions are often unwilling to spend the money required to make the improvements.

"Solutions to make our streets safer for pedestrians are well understood, but too seldom implemented," according to a conclusion in the "Mean Streets" report compiled by the Surface Transportation Policy Project in 2004. The report said Hawai'i spends less than 1 percent of its transportation budget on pedestrian safety, about the national average.

When the effort is made, though, results can be dramatic.

Salt Lake City, for instance, has reduced the number of pedestrian injuries by 44 percent since 2000, when officials launched a citywide effort to promote traffic safety. Portland managed to cut its pedestrian injuries 41 percent between 1999 and 2004.

The efforts included many small-scale projects that have not yet been fully tried in Hawai'i.

Among them were installation of orange flags for pedestrians to carry at crosswalks, increased fines for pedestrian-related violations, lengthening pedestrian walk times, using countdown signals at traffic signals and installing pedestrian activated crosswalk lights and signals.

Other things that have worked nationwide include installation of automated cameras to catch red-light runners, traffic circles and other calming devices, such as slightly raised rubber walkways, and high-visibility, saturation law enforcement efforts.

"It's important to establish that pedestrians have an equal right to the roadway, even when it's predominantly used by automobiles," said Gregg Hirakawa, communications director for Seattle Department of Transportation, which started its enhanced pedestrian safety program in 2005.

CALL FOR ACTION

Honolulu residents — responding to reports that seven pedestrians have been killed in traffic accidents this year and an Advertiser call for suggestions to end the carnage — said they'd like to see more of these innovations in Hawai'i.

"I suggest that we have the walk sign at traffic lights longer especially for the elders to have more time to walk across," said Florence Alejandro Guillermo.

"In San Luis Obispo, there's a crosswalk with blinking lights. I was wondering if something like this could be used in Honolulu," suggested Honolulu resident Bill Fujimori.

"Pedestrians can make drivers notice them by holding up a flag when ready to cross and waving it toward any approaching car," said Dr. Gordon Trockman. "I have found that even busy, distracted drivers talking on their cell phones will quickly notice a person pointing and waving a flag in their direction."

City officials say they are considering a number of pedestrian safety options, but flags and traffic calming devices are not among them.

"We're not pushing any new traffic calming devices," said Richard Torres, deputy director of the Department of Transportation Services. "We don't do that anymore. A lot of people in the neighborhood don't want them when they interrupt the flow of traffic."

In Seattle and Portland, by contrast, residents are clamoring for more traffic calming measures, Hirakawa said.

"We've got tons of them, including traffic circles, curb bulbs and raised rubber walkways. They've very popular in many neighborhoods. We've just increased the funding to $2.5 million, up from $1.2 million last year. At $10,000 a piece, they're a very effective way to protect pedestrians."

CALMING DEVICES ADDED

Mark Lear, traffic investigation manager for Portland's Office of Transportation, said the city has installed more than 1,000 speed bumps and and other traffic calming devices in the past few years, and had particular success in reducing accidents by building mid-road pedestrian islands that give walkers a place to stand on busy streets.

"They are quite cost-effective compared to putting in a traffic signal," Lear said.

Torres said he didn't think the crossing flag idea would be effective until more is done to change driver behavior in Honolulu.

"The mentality is totally different here. Every day I see drivers do something that amazes me. We need more education and enforcement," he said.

For now, the city is considering a number of other ideas that would improve crosswalk safety, including restriping in different colors or florescent paint. "Visibility is the most important thing," he said.

The national "Mean Streets" study found that taming motor vehicle traffic is the most effective way to cut down on pedestrian accidents. "To begin, we must employ promising new technologies to enhance enforcement, such as the deployment of photo speed enforcement and so-called red-light cameras," the report said.

Hirakawa said the red-light cameras have proven effective in Seattle. "Even if you creep through the intersection at a slow speed, they're going to catch you," he said.

Several bills alive at the state Legislature this year would allow counties to start their own red-light camera programs, but the state's disastrous flirtation with photo-enforcement of speeding laws in 2000 is generally believed to have soured lawmakers willingness to pass the measures.

In addition to the photo-enforcement efforts, the visible presence of police often helps reduce accidents, Lear said.

"Once or twice a month, we do crosswalk enforcement actions at locations around town. It works out very well, and really gets the message out," he said.

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Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.