You would think repetitive disaster might be instructive, but apparently not always enough to convince traffic officials that intersection improvements should be made quickly. Too many pedestrians and bicyclists are being struck by automobiles while trying to navigate dangerous crossings in this county, as noted in a recent story in this newspaper.

A nonprofit organization report on five upstate counties highlighted that. AARP released a report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign that indicated Erie County had the greatest number of injuries and deaths every year from 2006 through to 2008, during which time 2,403 people were injured and 45 were killed. The study also included Albany, Broome, Monroe and Onondaga counties.

Many of the deaths and injuries stemmed from incidents labeled “accidents” not the fault of road design, but each should be reviewed carefully for possible design solutions that could ease risks, especially in areas with multiple mishaps.

The recent story of a 44-year-old pregnant woman who was struck by a truck at Erie County’s most dangerous crossing is one example. Lynette Venezia, who had just left Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo after a doctor’s appointment, remains in a coma after being struck by a pickup at the complex intersection of Abbott Road, Cazenovia Street and Lorraine Avenue in front of the hospital. According to the report, that intersection is responsible for nine pedestrian injuries from 2006 through 2008.

Other dangerous intersections were named in the report: Delaware and Hertel avenues, Niagara and Maryland streets, Delaware Avenue and West Chippewa Street, Hertel Avenue and Niagara Street, Allen Street and Delaware Avenue, Utica and Main streets. Encouragingly, the City of Buffalo already has plans to improve proposals for six of the intersections, and will soon study the other three.

One of the things that AARP is calling for to make intersections safer, for senior citizens in particular, is for municipalities to adopt a “Complete Streets” strategy, legislation being pushed in New York that would increase expectations for intersection design by adopting better standards. That’s similar to what Mayor Byron W. Brown says has been under-taken for several years in the City of Buffalo.

There are indications that the mayor has been trying to improve the pedestrian experience by marking crosswalks and installing pedestrian buttons to work with traffic signals, allowing a certain amount of time for crossing, adding accessibility ramps at intersections and adding road striping to make it clear to motorists where to watch for people.

A “complete streets” strategy is necessary in any urban community, to make access safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and the handicapped as well as for motorists. In Erie County, there obviously is a lot more work to be done.