Williamsport may be a long way from West Coast cities like Everett, Washington, and Alameda, California, but they all have something to teach each other about keeping pedestrians safe.
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter will join 11 other mayors from cities around the nation, including Everett and Alameda, on the 2025 cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS).
"It may be, you know, a six-lane highway in a major city, maybe just a two-lane road here in Williamsport that we're talking about," he said. "But as we start to identify and then look for solutions, I think that's where we'll come together and realize that this impacts all of our cities in very similar ways," Slaughter said.
"We always say that regardless of the size of your city, the only difference is where the comma falls in your population," he added.
MIPS is a partnership between the Mayors Innovation Project, AARP Livable Communities and Smart Growth America, designed to give mayors an opportunity to learn from both topic experts and their peers about how to create safer streets.
Pedestrian fatalities rising nationwide
This year's group spans the country from Massachusetts to Florida to the West Coast, as does the topic they're confronting: Pedestrian fatalities continue to rise across the U.S., MIPS says, with an average of 20 people killed each day by drivers.
In Pennsylvania, 191 pedestrians were killed and 566 suffered serious injuries in 2023, the latest year for which complete statistics were available, according to state Department of Transportation records.
The same year also saw 27 bicyclist fatalities and 161 serious injuries in the state, PennDOT statistics show.
In 2023, 67% of the state's total pedestrian fatalities occurred in only nine of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, according to PennDOT: Allegheny, Bucks, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.
Lycoming County, where Williamsport is located, has fared better than many. According to PennDOT's 2023 report, there were no pedestrian or bicycle fatalities that year, but there were two serious pedestrian injuries and two serious bicycle injuries.
Slaughter wants to keep those numbers at bay, especially as more people in the Williamsport area are biking for commuting and recreation.
With a BMX park under development, Slaughter only expects interest in biking to grow.
"So as we start to see this increase in cycling, we've started to have a conversation about bike lanes here in the city," Slaughter said. "So that's definitely going to be a focus."
Over the next six months, Slaughter and his fellow mayors on the national panel will participate in virtual and in-person programming, working with national experts and fellow mayors to address the urgent pedestrian safety challenges in their communities, MIPS officials said.
“Mayors are essential to this work, and we are eager to work with this year’s cohort to share and implement more of what we know creates safer, more vibrant communities for all,” said Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America, Smart Growth America’s transportation arm.
Williamsport's concerns and opportunities
Back at home, these issues are a continuing focus for Williamsport officials, Slaughter said.
In addition to discussing bike lanes, the city has an eye on bike and pedestrian safety throughout the community, he said, with a focus on respecting stop signs and identifying blind spots and other danger zones.
The city received a $356,000 Safe Streets for All grant that will help with assessing safety problems and tackling those issues.
"So that's really what we're going to look at, our intersections, our sidewalks, our bike lanes, the high traffic areas ... Are people using the crosswalks? Are they crossing when the walk sign is on, or are they just sort of (crossing) in mid-block," Slaughter said.
"We do have areas of town that are of concern, of course, and then you know, other areas maybe where there aren't as many incidents, however, (there are) some close calls," he said. "You can't always dictate how people want to drive or ride their bike or walk, but we want to make it, from our standpoint, as safe as we possibly can."
Such considerations are especially important in downtown Williamsport, which is compact, walkable, and often busy with foot traffic, especially during special events like the seasonal First Friday art events and August's annual Little League World Series.
"We've had more businesses open up, restaurants and bars, shops," Slaughter said of the city center.
Enforcement and education are key to ensuring everyone is traveling safely, whether in a motor vehicle, on a bicycle, or on foot, he said.
"It's a multi-pronged approach," the mayor said. "You need to make sure you're following the traffic laws, you're looking out for bicyclists, you're looking out for foot traffic and just generally paying attention as you're driving — and not being distracted, too, which is another component."
Eyes on local radar
Slaughter also has another long-term goal in mind.
"Pennsylvania is the last state in the whole country to not allow their local police departments to use radar," he said.
The Pennsylvania Municipal League, of which Slaughter is the current president, has been an advocate of giving municipal police access to radar for speed enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Mayors' Association also has been advocating for the change.
League officials say non-radar devices available to local police are increasingly obsolete, which makes it more difficult to enforce speed limits. The result, the league says, is an increasing number of speed-related crashes and fatalities.
Previous legislative proposals have failed to advance, but state Rep. Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland County) said last month she is looking to introduce a new proposal this session.
"If the state legislature would give us the ability to use local radar — I'm not saying we would (use it) all the time — but if there's an area where, you know we are have some concerns or reports about vehicles traveling at high speed, then we could enforce that," Slaughter said.
In the meanwhile, Slaughter said he will continue to discuss pedestrian safety issues with his fellow mayors in Pennsylvania and across the country.
"I know Mayor (Mike) Lombardo often talks about that, that one street there in Pittston, where I think it's one-way, I believe, and it's usually traveled at a pretty high rate of speed. I know he's been working on that for a long time to try to address that," Slaughter said.
"I know Lancaster has instituted some various traffic calming measures, and other cities across the state, too," he added. "This is a concern across the board for pretty much all of us."
