The recent terrorist attack on bicyclists and pedestrians in New York City is cause for alarm here in Hawaii. Using trucks to kill people — like in New York and during the 2016 Bastille Day attacks on the Nice Promenade in France, which killed 86 and wounded 430 people — have become all too common.
Since 2006, there have been 34 vehicular terrorism incidents that have killed scores of people. Attacks have occurred in Vienna; Berlin; London; Stockholm; Paris; Edmonton; Columbus, Ohio; and other cities throughout the world.
In an open society, it is difficult to limit access to vehicles. It is hard to screen out terrorists because many are homegrown or “lone wolves” who blend in with society. There has been reluctance to address the problem because of the impacts on commerce and livelihoods. If it is so difficult to regulate guns, just think how hard it will be to impose new restrictions and requirements on trucks.
Places such as Waikiki that promote walking, biking and shared use of roadways are at risk of these threats. Terrorists target high-visibility locations where large crowds gather. We need to consider broad boulevards that accommodate large vehicles and many pedestrians as vulnerable “soft targets,” which we need to protect.
There are actions we can take to reduce the risks.
We need to conduct risk assessments factoring in time of day, day of week, time of year, celebrations and special events when large numbers of people gather. The attacks are not random. They occur at specific times and locations when and where the greatest harm can be inflicted.
There is more we can do with urban planning, roadway design and traffic control to curb risks and minimize harm caused by terrorists. Research on traffic calming, urban speed management, access control and protecting pedestrians, bicyclists and roadway users can be re-engineered and adapted to reduce vehicular terrorism.
Let’s re-think the design and management of our public spaces. Similar to CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Urban Design), a renewed partnership between law enforcement, traffic engineers, urban planners and designers can promote greater safety and security in our community.
Integrated video, sensor, congestion management, speed detection, machine visioning and other new technologies provide opportunities for early warning and fast response to prevent harmful acts on our streets. We need to spur local innovations for not just reducing terrorism but increasing safety for vulnerable roadway users.
There is need for more training, not just in terms of the visual cues for vehicular terrorism, but also detection of dangerous driving and how to manage and recover from disruptive incidents. This is not just a law enforcement problem. We need coordinated responses involving public sector agencies, utilities, the private sector and the community.
It is necessary to share responsibility and assets so that equipment, personnel and resources can be deployed to prevent, respond to and recover from disasters. We need risk assessment, planning, scenario development, response and recovery protocol, training and education and concerted efforts to increase preparedness.
The benefits of safe streets accrue to all of us. More pedestrians, bicyclists and people on the streets help in deterring crime and terrorism. Promoting walkability for our residents and visitors is vigorous defiance of terrorism. Working together we can build resilience in our community.
Karl Kim, Ph.D., is professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Hawaii, and executive director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.
