PMAs in NYC
Here’s a job that you may not have known existed: “Pedestrian Management Agents.”
In order to create a truly world-class public space in Times Square, the Bloomberg administration and the New York City Department of Transportation have necessarily concentrated on pedestrian traffic flow. Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE) was hired to deploy our Pedestrian Management Agents (PMAs) at four intersections in Times Square during the pilot program.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the notoriety of New York City walkers for seemingly using every available opportunity to cross a street regardless of whether cars are coming or not, our agents were able to increase compliance with walk/don’t-walk signals by 62%, from a rate of 57.5% to 93.4% compliance with the walk/don’t walk signals.
SSE has also provided Pedestrian Managers to augment pedestrian safety around the World Trade Center site, most significantly at the intersection of Church St. and Vesey St. This is the main access/egress point from the WTC PATH station, and by our counts may be the intersection with the highest peak hour pedestrian volumes in the city.
Our pedestrian managers all come from law enforcement backgrounds and bring at least 15 years of experience with them to the job. At any one time there is nearly a century of experience guiding pedestrians across Church St. In addition to their law enforcement and crowd control qualifications, all of our employees have received certification through the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA).
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 10:49 am and is filed under Pedestrians. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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March 11th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I’m pretty sure anyone not wedded to their car will agree that automobile control would have a far greater and more efficient contribution to safety on NYC streets than pedestrian control.
How about a shift of priorities?
It’s old news, but I’ve long been a fan of (old) York’s transport policy. And with one of the highest rates of cyclists and pedestrians in the UK, it appears to be working.
Hierarchy of Road Users
1. Pedestrians
2. people with disabilities
3. cyclists
4. public transport passengers
5. commercial/business vehicles requiring access
6. coach-borne shoppers
7. coach-borne visitors
8. car-borne long stay commuters and visitors.
“The hierarchy reviews and challenges widely held, generally unconscious, bias towards car travellers in transport planning practice.” http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/walking/success/encouragingwalkingandcycling5794?page=8
March 16th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
But those dang jaywalkers are such a menace to society (sarcasm).
March 17th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Sounds like the “walking guards” they use near elementary schools.
April 27th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Somehow, as a New Yorker, I don’t believe four crossing guards in Times Square are going to stop us from jaywalking. Giuliani couldn’t stop us from jaywalking. Nobody can stop us from jaywalking. Your fault for bringing your car here anywa– what the hell a biker nearly hit me!