Pedestrians have the right of way

According to Alaska Public Media on April 1, a pedestrian and a dog were fatally hit by a vehicle. A month later, Alaska’s News Source reported that another pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run. According to Anchorage Daily News, the eighth pedestrian death of this year occurred in Midtown on June 2. 

Besides the obvious fact that most of Anchorage’s sidewalks remain unplowed or difficult to trek through for the majority of the year due to snow, decades of road evolution have prioritized drivers over pedestrians. 

I have become acutely aware of how dangerous and terrifying the walking situation can be in and around my neighborhood. For those who are frequently walking around much more congested intersections and busy roads, I can only imagine how hazardous these conditions can be. 

Countless times, I have noticed drivers blowing through right-hand turns, craning their heads to the left to gauge their turn amid oncoming traffic while blatantly dismissing the possibility of a pedestrian coming their way on the right. 

The State of Alaska Driver Manual instructs drivers to stop behind crosswalks, stop signs or before entering intersections, and to proceed only after a complete and safe stop. However, many drivers disregard this rule, dismissing the potential right-of-way that pedestrians have — risking their lives.

The root cause of this issue lies in the evolution of the American road system as we know it today.

According to Historian Peter D. Norton in “Street Rivals: Jaywalking and the Invention of the Motor Age Street,” city streets had to be completely reworked with asphalt, concrete and motor thoroughfares to meet the needs of the modern vehicle and its speed.

Norton describes that those who advocated for those changes were among social elites who did not need to ride mass transportation. Then, when all street cars were removed and roads were completely altered, people rode buses or were relegated to driving cars.

Norton wrote that in 1913, a municipal judge declared Chicago streets to belong to the city, not to automobilists. 

Norton mentions that eight years later, pedestrians were required by the city to cross streets at right angles and crosswalks. 

The journal “General Motors and the Demise of Streetcars” by author Cliff Slater states that by 1914, streetcars were the only mode of public transportation functioning at full capacity. However, by 1937, buses became the new public transportation in 50% of cities.

Slater mentions that in the 1920s, the desire for automobiles increased due to their versatility and faster speed. By the 1940s and 1950s, this caused a decline in demand for public transit services. 

An analysis on the decline of mass transit by Martha J. Bianco, former professor at Portland State University, describes how the eradication of mass transit options turned into the boom of the automotive vehicle industry. 

“American street railways were dismantled. … Urban rail transit was replaced by motor buses, which were to be replaced by cars,” said Bianco. 

Bianco wrote that in 1955, General Motors — and its subsidiary National City Lines — were convicted of conspiring to eliminate streetcar competition and promote bus and automobile use. 

“[GM] realized that as long as people had adequate mass transportation they wouldn't buy the product that GM was fundamentally interested in selling.”

The motor vehicles were impeding pedestrian livelihoods. However, criminalization and restrictions to pedestrians came in benefit of automobile drivers and companies.

‍Vox explains that the term “jaywalking” emerged to describe pedestrians as someone who didn’t know how to navigate the shared roads. In retaliation, pedestrians retorted reckless drivers as “jay driving,” but obviously, only one of these terms stuck. 

In 1923, Cincinnati residents voted to approve a ballot measure requiring speed limits in cars, which compelled the auto industry to restrict the pedestrians’ rights in the road. Efforts included safety campaigns from AAA — the American Automobile Association — that shamed pedestrians. 

As motorists and pedestrians continued to face each other, hostility brewed. This is evident in a series of New York Times articles from 1929. 

‍The first article, released in January, states that, “The motorist complains that the man on foot gets in his way. The man on foot retorts that the motorist terrorizes him.” It is mentioned that each user of the highway deserves equal rights. However, the pedestrian is unable to assert their rights in these evolving times. 

‍The second article, which was released in April,  highlights their struggle to share the road, stating, “Americans awheel cannot be counted on to respect a stop sign unless it is reinforced by a policeman, and afoot they pay no attention to either.” Also stated is that for years prior, the pedestrian themselves would be at fault for getting run over.

‍The final article, published in July,  further elaborates on the competition for the road between pedestrians and motorists. “It's hard on the pedestrian, for he has to keep turning and craning and stopping and starting. Assuming that he has the right of way, and that no driver wants the satisfaction · of running over him, he still has some justification for retaining his timidity.”

By 1939, the United States served one car for every five persons, and according to a survey by The New York Times, all other nations combined had one automobile to each 196 individuals.

While pedestrian safety has largely improved since the dawn of the automobile, vehicles still account for a large portion of pedestrian deaths.

As I write this, I look outside my window. A child is gleefully exclaiming as she jumps over manholes, eagerly demanding her guardian’s attention. The child, consumed by her imagination and free spirit, has yet to notice the oncoming Toyota 4Runner. 

It is her guardian’s duty to notify her of the 4,500 pound vehicle heading her way. I can’t help but imagine how different life might be if we as a society did not prioritize individualism and car culture within our American mentality.

Even the most busy and developed cities at the peak of the automobile era — New York and Los Angeles — struggled to find a middle ground between pedestrians and cars. 

It makes sense that Anchorage, a later-developed city, evolved to fully comply with vehicles, and would have long stretches of road that bear no crosswalk for several blocks. 

Volatile, busy streets make it difficult for a pedestrian to walk comfortably. It is worthwhile to reiterate the severity of reckless drivers’ endangerment, as it is their responsibility to preserve the pedestrian’s life.