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The City Council of Hyattsville created the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee and tasked this committee with analyzing safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists in Hyattsville with the goal of improving safety and eventually achieving the Bicycle Friendly Community Gold Star designation from the League of American Bicyclists.

The committee is composed of a diverse group of Hyattsville residents including residents that are avid cyclists, pedestrians, and stroller pushers. The committee developed a list of potential problem areas in the town and solicited information from the community via a community wide meeting in September 2006, the Hyattsville HOPE list serve, through advertisement in the Hyattsville Life and Times monthly news publication and through the Hyattsville Community wiki (hyattsvillewiki.com).

The committee analyzed the potential problem areas through site visits, research, and consultation with city staff, council representatives, Mayor Bill Gardiner, Prince George's County officials and officials at the Maryland National Parks and Planning Commission. Through this this research and analysis, the committee has developed a set of recommendations to improve the safety pedestrians and cyclists in Hyattsville. The committee intends for this report to form the basis for Hyattsville's Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and to put the city well on the road to meeting the requirements of the Bicycle Friendly City program.

Our research revealed areas in need of improvement in all wards of the city. However, there is a great deal of consistency in the types of problems: high traffic roads with poor signage, lack of walk signals and crosswalks for pedestrians, poor lighting, and the lack of bike lanes and adequate sidewalks. The good news is that with adjustments to light cycles, road striping and other simple fixes a great number of safety improvements can be made at a low cost.

Wherever possible the committee identified the relevant jurisdictions and how a particular recommendation fits into
city, state or local plans currently underway. For instance, the city repaving schedule was considered in suggesting which area sidewalks should be improved. Throughout our research, we found that problem areas for bicycles were also problem areas for pedestrians as well. This report summarizes the committee's research and recommendations.

Following this section, you will find a list of our top ten recommendations for improving safety.