Thank you. Chief Bullick, one of the last things that I would like you to follow up on and I know that there's always the possibility that we start to lobby and go through the Pennsylvania Police Chief's Association to introduce radar to municipal police departments or someone else said introduce it to a class one city that would give us the ability to use radar, because I believe you've said earlier that this is a very effective tool because the other methods -- I think it was Captain Martin that indicated that there are some constraints on the mechanical speed systems that require long lengths of roadway, and radar isn't so -- CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: No. 22 Radar is definitely the way to go. We'd love to have it in the city of the first class, like we said, and we've spoken with Representative Kenney. 109 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 And I believe, George, you're going to put that into your -- REPRESENTATIVE KENNEY: We're working on this as we speak. CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: He's working on that as we speak.
If he isn't, he is now. But that's so important, because I know that I had some experience with a joint effort with the Pennsylvania State Police -- and I appreciate the Pennsylvania State Police being here today -- a joint effort where they worked with Philadelphia police on West River Drive at the time, now Martin Luther King, and Lincoln Drive and Kelly Drive. They worked together, and very effective. They really slowed things down. CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: We have a good relationship with the State Police.
Chief Inspector, just to follow up on 110 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 Councilman Greenlee's point and the point you made too about jaywalking and issuing some type of warning, we can do all that we can do to slow down traffic and do traffic calming, but I do think that reminding people that jaywalking and crossing against the light is not what you should be doing here is a very, very important part of this. CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: As you were saying earlier, education is a must. It's something we have to get out there.
It really is. I mean, people don't automatically know how to cross the streets anymore. I am telling you, I actually thought that when the hand started flashing, you had to stop, but I talked to somebody -- CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: No. 22 That means run.
But I talked to someone. It may have been Charles Denney, I don't know, but 111 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 actually when the hand is flashing, it's really a safe time to walk. I had no 4 idea. I thought that's when you had to --
But anyway, it's important that people know that. When we had incidents at the schools, we learned how to cross on green. We tell children how to stop on red. But whoever taught them how to cross at a four-way stop? You got to figure it out yourself. So it's just so many new things that's happening now or newer technology. We just can't forget the people side of this either. Bob Pervidi is not here, but earlier today in City Council he says, Donna, I got to make sure people don't blame the victims. We're not trying to blame the victims, but I think it's a two-pronged approach. Do what you can to slow down the cars and educate the 112 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 pedestrians. CHIEF INSPECTOR BULLICK: Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Rossi. Thank you, Chief Inspector. Summarize, please.
Surely. I will speed up a little bit, too. My name is Cathy Rossi and I am manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Two hundred thousand City of Philadelphia residents are members of AAA and thousands more drive into the City every day. AAA was founded on the principles of road and pedestrian safety more than 100 years ago. It is inevitable that we will likely see more deaths unless we are 113 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 proactive about doing something. Why? Because we have a number of societal factors on a virtual collision course. As individuals, we're buying more cars, and congestion is getting worse. We're also seeing an influx of many poor and uneducated immigrants, new arrivals coming from cultures where pedestrians are truly given the right of way. AAA suggested today some proposals for consideration, many options on Roosevelt Boulevard focusing primarily on engineering, enforcement and education in combination. The problem is both motorists and pedestrians, so the City's approach should consider both. AAA suggests designating Roosevelt Boulevard a safety corridor, making it a strict enforcement, high profile, high fined area, with a strong police presence. Consider posting portable speed monitors that flash driver speeds. Ticket both drivers and pedestrians for speeding and jaywalking. 114 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 Consider sting operations like those in Bethesda, Maryland where police wear plain clothes and walk across the street at specific times when pedestrians are supposed to have the right of way. Drivers who don't yield are ticketed and vice versa. Enforcement alone will not work. Signaled lighted countdowns for pedestrians such as those in Washington, DC and other metropolitan areas make it less dangerous for pedestrians to make decisions about crossing the street, because they can visibly see how many seconds they have left to do it. In certain areas along the Boulevard, an overhead pedestrian bridge may be a viable solution, engineered in such a way that pedestrians are forced to use it, and this may mean erecting barricades or barrier fencing along medians. Such fencing went up on median strips between a metro station and a mall in Maryland recently to keep pedestrians 115 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 back. AAA recommends measures that can get motorists' and pedestrians' attention, such as newer high-tech high visibility crosswalk designs with special sensors and in-ground or overhead lights that flash when pedestrians are using the area. The State or the City could partner with major business corporations to fund a high-tech crosswalk where businesses might get signing rights or pedestrian bridge. One final word on speed cameras, because they are so very much under consideration, and in deference to the Parking Authority, what I was trying to say is that we know red light cameras are working, they're working well. Kudos to the Parking Authority. The very reason that they're working so well is because of the way the enabling legislation was structured. If speed cameras are modeled after the red light camera legislation 116 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 and appropriate safeguards are put in place and safety is the priority, then there will not be a public perception that it is a revenue generator. And this is very much about public perception, because there are other jurisdictions across the country where red light cameras have failed because of the way the legislation was set up. It was set up as a revenue-enhancement tool and not primarily as a safety device. So AAA would like to see the legislation modeled after the red light cameras here, because it's not just about what is done but the way it's done as well. Thank you.
Thank you. Any other questions or comments? (No response.) 117 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787
One of the things I need to do to take care of some business here is to submit the testimony of Samuel Harrell, Director of Program Operations, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, for the record, his written testimony.
Yes. I'd like to just before we leave thank, first of all, everyone who has come and taken the time out of their afternoon to participate and try to help this process along, but more than anything else, I'd like to thank Terry Devlin from CORA. Terry is also a constituent in Fox Chase and democratic committeeman, I might as well say. There's more democrats here than anything. But CORA, the entire CORA organization and this building, didn't happen overnight. It happened with a lot of sweat and tears from Sister Charity, although she never got to see it. I know the staff, most of whom were the upper 118 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 staff, the top staff that are here are from when Sister Charity was here. We really appreciate it. It is the perfect room for this kind of thing. Thank you, Terry.
And, again, I want to thank everyone, and I'll turn it over to the Chair so we can adjourn.
I'd also like to say thank you for allowing me to visit CORA today. I've seen your name. I've seen people come to City Council to testify. So it's really good being out here. Since there are no more questions or no more testimony, the joint Committees on Public Safety and Streets and Services shall be recessed until the call of the Chair. Thank you for spending your day supporting public safety. Thank you. (Joint Committees on Public Safety and Streets and Services adjourned 119 12/12/06 - PUBLIC SAFETY - RES. 060787 at 4:20 p.m.) - - - 120 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on December 12, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)