PUTNEY-In May, two friends, both residents of Putney Meadows senior housing, were walking on the sidewalk near the Putney Food Co-op when a car jumped the curb and hit them.
Deborah Bozetarnik, 68, was slightly injured, but the injuries of 77-year-old Diane Clementine were severe and, after a lengthy hospitalization, she died on June 2.
Responding to the shock of the accident and concerned about pedestrian safety, Putney Community Cares Inc. (PCCI) has initiated the WalkSafe Putney project.
The program distributes free safe-walking kits with three components: a bright reflective armband for a person to wear when walking, information on pedestrian safety, and a sticker to promote the program.
The kits implore pedestrians to "make eye contact with drivers," to "be highly visible" by "wearing reflective gear and bright colors," and "stay away from cars" by walking against traffic and, when available, on a sidewalk.
"This was a tragic event, and the loss of a community member was devastating," said Ruby McAdoo, PCCI's coordinator. "As a community organization, we considered how we could move forward, both to honor Diane Clementine and to encourage pedestrian safety in town."
Coni Richards, a PCCI board member and a resident of Putney Meadows (where she and Clementine had been neighbors), helped to design the program, based on observations of "the traffic/pedestrian relationship in and around Putney," she said.
"I noticed folks using canes or walkers, as Diane did," Richards said. "I noticed increased numbers of pedestrians attending the Putney Farmers Market, and pet walkers along Old Route 5, and the traffic being re-routed because of the new construction on Alice Holway Drive. Current speed limit postings, and crosswalks in need of fresh paint, all got my attention."
The mission of PCCI, McAdoo said, "is to foster the health, well-being, and independence of all members of our community. We have seen an increase in the number of walkers throughout town, from the Amblers, a walking group, to students from area schools. We believe increasing awareness of pedestrian safety will have a huge impact on our community."
With Route 5's status as a state highway, some welcome potential traffic-calming initiatives would have been costly and have required the intervention of town and state governments.
"We focused on designing an initiative that would have an impact but might also be just the beginning of change in our community," McAdoo said.
Richards and McAdoo designed the WalkSafe Putney image, yellow and black, like familiar road signs. They discussed what people would be willing to wear to increase visibility. The first thought was reflective vests, and Richards approached Dan Barcomb, a manager at Hannaford Supermarket in Brattleboro.
"He generously offered to donate 10 vests to get us going," Richards said, "but as we discussed the idea with the PCCI board, people indicated a preference for reflective armbands to increase visibility."
McAdoo and Richards, wearing fluorescent yellow Walk Safe Putney T-shirts, presented sample kits to the Putney Selectboard on July 23.
"The kits were well received," Richards said. "We've distributed the first round of kits, which are free, to the Putney Diner, Putney Food Co-op, Putney General Store, Putney Public Library, and Putney Town Hall. We've already received one donation, which will make it possible to make more kits available."
On May 8, Vermont State Police arrested the driver, Jason A. Ball, 23, of Alstead, New Hampshire, at the scene, and he is awaiting trial on charges of driving under the influence of drugs with bodily injury or death, as well as with grossly negligent operation of a vehicle. He is incarcerated at the Southern State Correctional Facility.
Contributions to the project are welcome in order to fund additional kits.
To support the WalkSafe Putney initiative, including the distribution of kits to students in area schools this fall, make a donation to Putney Community Cares at putneycommunitycares.org, or mail a check to PCCI, 54 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT 05346.
This News item was submitted to The Commons.