The Houston Traffic Safety Coalition, led by the Traffic Safety team from the Texas Department of Transportation, recently conducted a “walking audit” of area neighborhoods to help bring awareness to the safety issues faced by pedestrians.
[Above photo by TxDOT]
Created in 2019, that safety coalition includes non-profit organizations, law enforcement and other government agencies. Trey Salinas, TxDOT’s traffic safety specialist in Houston, explained in a blog post that this recent “walking audit” aims to highlight “walkability issues” in local neighborhoods while giving community leaders much needed feedback to improve safety in their respective areas.
More than 4,200 people lost their lives last year in fatal crashes on roadways in Texas, he noted, with more than 700 of those deaths in the Houston area alone, sparking a joining of forces to help combat the deadly trend.
“We feel it is important that we bring people to the table with a similar focus so that we can support each other in our goal to reduce deaths on our roads,” Salinas said. “[TxDOT’s] Houston District is one of the largest districts by population in the state. We have many concerned citizens and organizations that want to make a difference.”
He explained that the coalition offers a forum to talk about what problems the community at large is facing. Members discuss and propose ways to make communities safer for all road users including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
“When we work together, we have a greater chance of finding solutions that we can work on together,” Salinas said.
Having TxDOT lead the coalition has been crucial in helping to coordinate resources, establish standards and cast a larger, more general traffic safety net, he noted.
“Our coalition members play an important role in reaching out to as many people as possible,” Salinas said. “The coalition is greater than the sum of its parts.”

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