Study: Nassau senior pedestrian deaths among highest in region
An ambulette carrying two elderly people in East Northport was hit by another vehicle, police said. Both passengers in the ambulette died. (April 28, 2010) Credit: Peter Walden Sr.
Of 37 counties in Connecticut, New Jersey and downstate New York, Nassau is the third most deadly for older pedestrians, according to a study released Wednesday.
The study by the nonprofit Tri-State Transportation Campaign examined federal data on fatal pedestrian accidents in downstate New York, 19 New Jersey counties and six in Connecticut from 2006 through 2008, the most recent year for which data were available.
Out of every 100,000 residents 60 or over in Nassau, the study found 4.69 died in pedestrian traffic accidents. Across the 37 counties, the average pedestrian death rate for the same age group was 3.44.
In total, 39 seniors died in pedestrian traffic accidents in Nassau during the period. Only Manhattan and Brooklyn had higher rates of pedestrian deaths among those 60 and over. Suffolk was ranked 17th among the 37 counties.
Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island, a nonprofit that supports "smart growth," said Nassau has built-up areas where seniors are used to walking. But the roads in these areas increasingly are accommodating heavy vehicle traffic, he said.
If communities want to encourage seniors - and young people - to live in downtowns, Alexander said, that situation must change.
"We are going to have to make our roads safer for walking," he said. "We should have done it years ago."
Vision Long Island, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the AARP support legislation they say would ensure roads are designed to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians of all ages. Such a "complete streets policy" is pending in the State Legislature.
Should the bill become law, Alexander said, street designs would have to incorporate wider sidewalks, crosswalks with countdown timers, street trees, walkable medians, and other improvements to Long Island roads.
Alexander said the bill faces some opposition from municipal governments concerned about the cost of compliance, but backers in Albany have told him it's a priority.
"I'm rarely hopeful about Albany," he said, "but I'm hopeful."
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
