Commission honoredforefffforts

T he Mi ami Val l e y Regional Planning Commission has accepted a “SAFETYS” Award from the Ohio Department of Transportation for the “Street Smart” pedestrian safety campaign, which was launched in 2016.

“The selection committee was impressed by MVRPC’s efforts to work with local partners, including the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) and Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County ( PHDMC), to help spread the word about pedestrian safety. These agencies supportedthecampaignandsaw a real opportunity to collaborate. Pedestrian safety is important because almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their regular travels. For three years in a row, pedestrian deaths in Ohio have risen. We appreciate MVRPC’s early efffffffffffforts to address this growing safety issue,” statedMichelle May, ProgramManagerwith ODOT’s Highway Safety Program.

The award included a $ 3,000 grant, which can be used toward purchasing traffiffic safetymaterials. The campaign was selected out of 15 nominations.

“The “Street Smart” campaign was developed to be a powerful reminder that crashes involving pedestrians never end well,” stated MVRPC’s Executive Director, Brian O. Martin, AICP. “The images represent people in your life such as your neighbor, familymember, or friend. We want to remind everyone to watch out for pedestrians and that pedestrians should stay alert, establish eye contact with drivers, and walk defensively.”