Leaders with Children's Hospital at Erlanger's Safe and Sound Program, Safe Kids Greater Chattanooga and community leaders recently accepted a $25,000 grant from FedEx to create five new city-wide pedestrian safety initiatives, according to a news release.
The overall goal is to boost child pedestrian safety. The grant money will allow the city to make environmental changes that will improve pedestrian safety in several neighbors, the news release stated.
Some of the recommendations include:
- A solar-powered sign for reading vehicle speeds on Third Street near Orchard Knob Elementary to alert drivers to decrease speeds near the school;
- Pedestrian signals and countdown timers will be added to the crosswalk at the intersection of Wilcox Boulevard and Dodson Avenue to ensure pedestrians a safer crossing to Avondale Recreation Center and the convenience store.
- Street stencils will be added on Orchard Knob Avenue in front of Carver Recreation Center and on Dodson Avenue in front of East Chattanooga Recreation Center to notify drivers of these pedestrian crossing areas.
- Battle Academy will have a sidewalk added to better connect street crosswalks that are already in place.
- Street stencils added to Market Street and W.16th Street to inform drivers of the school zone.
"We are fortunate to receive this grant for the second year in a row," said Clay Carlock with Children's Hospital Safe and Sound Program in the news release. "We are seeing significant improvements and a decrease in the number of accidents with the projects we implemented in other high risk areas last year."
In 2009, there were 59 pedestrian crashes among all ages in Chattanooga, 10 of which were fatal, according to the news release.
In 2010, Children's Hospital at Erlanger saw 31 patients for pedestrian injuries, nine of which were admitted to Children's Hospital with an average stay of 6.6 days and a hospital bill averaging $57,000, the news release stated.