Macon-Bibb County’s Pedestrian Safety Review Board (PSRB) will announce the continuation of its safety and education campaign, On The Move, at a press conference on Monday, December 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Government Center Commission Chambers (700 Poplar Street). The PSRB recently received a $24,065 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to continue the program. The press conference will be streamed live on Facebook, online, and Cox Cable Channel 14.
Speaking at the press conference will be Commissioner Elaine Lucas, Harris Blackwood with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis, Bibb County School District Chief of Staff Keith Simmons, Coroner Leon Jones, Reverend Clifford Little, Mayor Robert Reichert, and PSRB Board Members Dr. Tom Ellington, Violet Poe, and David Gowan.
Members of the Board will talk about the need for pedestrians and drivers to be safer along our roadways to help reduce fatalities, and discuss the different aspects of the campaign, including community presentations, information distribution at busy intersections and along dangerous streets, information and training sessions, and more.
New to On The Move this year will be an effort to reach out to students in the Southwest High School zone. Three of the five schools in that zone are in close proximity to two of the five heavily-traveled, high-risk state routes having a high number of pedestrian fatalities. Volunteers will use educational and hands-on activities to help children learn how they can be safe pedestrians and live a long, healthy life.
The pilot program will be called Alive “Beyond 92,” which represents the oldest pedestrian fatality in Macon-Bibb County between 2012-2017. Dorothy “Dot” Elder was 92 at the time of her death in 2016, which was also the year with the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in Macon-Bibb County.
About the Pedestrian Safety Review Board
Responding to concerns about pedestrian safety, the Macon-Bibb County Commission approved an ordinance sponsored by District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas that created the Pedestrian Safety Review Board. It is charged by the Commission with finding ways to make all of the county’s roads, streets, and alleys safe for pedestrians.
Meeting each month, the Board establishes a forum for the Sheriff’s Office, Health Department, School District, county departments, Planning and Zoning, elected officials, AARP, and concerned citizens to develop strategies for creating a safer environment for pedestrians. To learn more about the Board, click here.