Haifa, the northern port city and the central metropolis of northern Israel, is the third largest. is in fifth place on the list of cities that are dangerous for pedestrians, according to data published by the Green Or Or Association. During the last five years (2019-2023), 733 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents in the city, with an average of 0.50 injuries per thousand residents each year.
Attorney Yaniv Ya'akov, CEO of Or Yerok Association, explains: "It is dangerous to walk in Israel. We must change the order of priorities from the ground up and plan the urban transportation infrastructure from the perspective and safety of pedestrians. The year 2024 is one of the deadliest in the last decade for pedestrians, and this requires the All the factors that are responsible for our life on the road wake up and act to save human lives."
Data from the Or Yerok association reflect a worrying reality in which pedestrians in Haifa are exposed to serious dangers every day when crossing the roads. While Haifa is in fifth place, Bat Yam and Tel Aviv-Yafo are at the top of the list with an even higher number of casualties per thousand inhabitants.
The dire conclusions of the report emphasize the immediate need to improve the city's safety infrastructure. Old infrastructure, lack of sufficient separation between pedestrians and vehicles and insufficiently adapted public transportation are some of the main causes of the many accidents.
In addition, special attention should be paid to the most vulnerable populations - the elderly and children. Adv. Yaakov emphasizes: "Pedestrians are a vulnerable population since they do not have an iron frame to protect them In every encounter between a pedestrian and a vehicle, the pedestrian will always lose."
Over the past few years, over 1,000 pedestrians have been killed in road accidents across the country, of which 59 in 2024 alone - an 11% increase from the previous year. More than half of all pedestrians killed are senior citizens and children, which increases the need for urgent action to improve their safety.
Haifa, as the largest city in the north, must take responsibility and lead change in the field. The municipality and local authorities should work together with the Ministry of Transportation to create a safer environment for pedestrians and reduce the number of casualties on the roads.
Urban planning should include widening sidewalks, installing better lighting, establishing safer crossings, and improving public transportation infrastructure, to ensure that pedestrians can move around the city safely.
Start handing out fines to all the cars that park on the sidewalk and don't allow pedestrians to walk on the sidewalk but get down to the road... First step, then we'll talk about widening the sidewalk...
According to the traffic division of the municipal engineering administration, there is no transportation problem, nor is there a parking problem, because in the foreseeable future, the Horev Junction tunnel will be built, the Moriah axis will be widened, additional access roads will be paved, and so on, all kinds of empty excuses.
The truth is that there is no plan for all these imaginary solutions and there is certainly no timetable for implementation.
On the contrary, the situation is getting worse every day with the uncontrolled addition of tax credits to cover the salaries of the municipal employees
Did you not read that Mrs. Sophie Nakash informed the chairman of the local committee Sharit Golan that she does not approve enough plans because the municipality needs to bring NIS 300 million from levies and plan approvals.
That is, the quality of life of the residents is not what is important. The only thing that is important to the council and the municipality is to bring in more funds to further finance the salary celebrations and the assistants for each deputy's salary and conditions and benefits and waste. So they need endless construction to finance the celebration for themselves.
Again - that's all they care about.
Crossings are lowered underground and this solves traffic jams and accidents and provides underground protection in wars. Several things for one price.
The sidewalk is the most dangerous place for pedestrians. Free parking for cars, scooters, bicycles and scooters. Walk on the road.
faded road markings,
It is not possible to distinguish where the track is and where the margin is.
Signs that cannot be discerned…
Unfortunately, not only pedestrians are dangerous, many of the villages that came to Haifa to make a mess should be removed very, very quickly
A mixed city. Law-abiding and law-abiding are involved. So there are casualties.
There is a new patent for buses. Train horns.
Outdoor loudspeakers announce stations and the whole city with noise all day long. Traffic lights are a recommendation and the city's men at the end of each working day go out to harakats and sing loudly. Motorcycles and electrics
Haifa ranks first in dog excrement in the country, something crazy...
Obviously... the municipality is saving on faeces collection facilities. Lack of trash cans. Sometimes I have to walk a long distance to throw the bag away. At least that is what is happening in Kiryat Haim.
Completely
This is the figure of a green light, but unfortunately, we need to come and see how people drive like crazy, where are all the elders of the tribe, of the Traffic Division of the Israel Police, who do nothing about it, where is the involvement of the mayor, who will enact a law and report drivers who park on the sidewalk , and they don't give way to pedestrians who cross the road and take risks, how come there were no accidents, the municipality of Haifa, and the Israel Police, must act on the matter, before another disaster happens, God forbid.
Haifa recently created the sidewalks in Hillel streets, Hess. Today it is not possible to walk peacefully on the sidewalk on Hillel Street. Definite echoes with spaces between the narrow sidewalks and the road to prevent vehicles and scooters from parking on the sidewalk and blocking them.
The municipality does not enforce parking on sidewalks and forces pedestrians to go down to the roads to bypass vehicles blocking sidewalks if it is at all possible. Sometimes the sidewalk is fenced off and a car is parked on it, meaning a hermetically sealed blockage of entrances to buildings.
The municipality does not enforce garbage bins and there are no fines.
So is it any wonder that it's dangerous on the city sidewalks?!