They chose the sidewalk issue as the first one to tackle in 1996. These factors include sufficient shade, ADA compliance, mixed compact land uses and access to transit. Most critical to the pedestrian environment is the friction between pedestrians and vehicles at intersections.
Intersections are a current political issue.
Tripping lights for cars is a quick fix. Let's take the pedestrian point of view and talk about crossing the street as we stand at the crossroads and contemplate Austin's growth. Crossing the street is the most dangerous aspect of being a pedestrian. On the average, a pedestrian is killed or injured by an automobile every six minutes in the United States. Roughly ninety percent of these accidents involve a pedestrian who is crossing a suburban or urban roadway.