Transportation
Can Waving Orange Flags Really Make Pedestrians Safer?
More cities are trying to make crossing the street less deadly by handing out low-tech flags. But does this just make walkers seem weird?
Florida is a lousy place to walk. Life-threatening, even. Four of the 10 metro areas where pedestrians are most likely to be killed by drivers are in the Sunshine State, according to rankings released earlier this year by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition.
Fort Lauderdale was one of the cities on that miserable list, and city leaders have said they are committed to improving conditions for people on foot using a number of strategies. One of which is asking them to carry an orange flag when crossing a particularly busy boulevard in the heart of the city.