Safe Street Act 2014

Safe Streets Act of 2014

Kaplan University

At first glance, Charleston S.C. is an idyllic city. It is an old town, with cobbled streets and narrow antiquated sidewalks; on closer inspection it will reveal its hidden dangers. These quaint and roughhewn areas are actually injuring and killing people at an alarming rate. The state was ranked fourth in the nation for its pedestrian danger index; Charleston’s statistics were directly at the top. (Dangerous by Design S.C., 2014) The need for safer sidewalks and streets for all pedestrians should be a maximum priority, and there is a plan in place to help to do this. The Safe Street Act is a law yet to be enacted, but is gaining in popularity in the Senate. The act sets the blueprint which will make a difference in the way streets and sidewalks will be built from now on. It will support the safety and convenience of all it’s users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users and drivers. It will reconstruct and rehabilitate the existing problem areas and will not allow building in any more dangerous areas. The Safe Streets Act of 2014 will protect our citizens especially our seniors from many of the perils of living in Charleston.

The bill, introduced to the Senate on February 6th, 2014 by senators Brian Schatz and Mark Begich is a comprehensive one. It creates incentives for federal transportation agencies to design safe streets for all; this would also include people of all ages and disabilities. Two-thirds of pedestrian deaths occur on federally funded roads, according to the Senators. “Our legislation provides commonsense solutions to consider the needs of our seniors and children encourage alternate forms of transportation, and make our roads and communities safer for everyone,” said Schatz.

As mentioned, elderly pedestrians are one of the significant influences for the bill. In 2005, seniors over the age of sixty-five reported for 15% of all traffic deaths and 20% of all...