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Transportation board seeks broader membership, proposes Vision Zero heat map for pedestrian safety
Summary
At the Sept. 9 meeting of the Annapolis Transportation Committee, Transportation Board representative Tara Ashmore asked aldermen for help recruiting members from underrepresented wards and proposed a citywide pedestrian-accident heat map tied to Vision Zero pedestrian-safety work.
At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Annapolis Transportation Committee heard a request from Transportation Board representative Tara Ashmore for broader geographic representation on the volunteer board and a recommendation to pursue a city-level heat map of pedestrian crashes as part of Vision Zero pedestrian-safety work.
Ashmore said the board has become concentrated in Ward 1 and asked committee members to help recruit people from other wards, including filling a vacancy in Ward 4 and finding a replacement for a secretary who has been absent. “What I do, have concerns about is really a board that represents all of the community,” Ashmore said. “We would just ask you and if you could share it with your council members that we would seek input to have a diversified group, across all the different wards.”
She told the committee the board currently includes representatives from St. John’s and the academy but that about five of eight members are Ward 1 residents, a balance she called “significant.” Ashmore said the board is prepared to track recommendations for potential members: “If you give us names, we will track them down.”
Ashmore also discussed Vision Zero and pedestrian-safety priorities, urging the city to develop data tools to guide where to focus improvements. “I was digging into some numbers on state statistics on fatalities and accidents involving pedestrians, and I think it's something that would be worthwhile for Annapolis to look at maybe a little deeper,” she said. Ashmore suggested a heat map of pedestrian crashes in Annapolis to identify trouble spots beyond the ones residents most commonly raise.
In committee discussion, members pointed to Compromise Street and the end of Duke of Gloucester Street as recurring concerns, citing a lack of adequate lighting on Compromise Street and an insufficient marked crosswalk at Duke of Gloucester. One alderman noted a school on Compromise Street and reported plans to paint a bike lane on a newly paved section; future phases would connect that lane farther down Sixth Street. Committee members also suggested inviting Department of Public Works staff and the city’s new traffic engineer to Transportation Board meetings to coordinate construction and safety standards.
Ashmore asked the committee for help connecting the board with applicants from other wards and for assistance in finding a secretary. She said the board would share details on current vacancies and the wards where new members are needed.
The Transportation Committee plans to continue coordination with the Transportation Board, public-works staff and the city manager’s office on pedestrian-safety projects and membership outreach. Ashmore noted the board meets Monday evenings and can bring additional details to the committee at future meetings.
