The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's latest crash fatality data for 2019 showed improving safety conditions for road users from the year prior. That progress is likely to vanish when the data for 2020 are complete.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released 2019 crash fatality data late last week, offering a snapshot of the state of traffic safety on the doorstep of the pandemic, reporting a decrease in traffic fatalities compared to 2018, and the lowest percentage of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities decreased to the lowest percentage since the NHTSA started collecting the data in 1982.
Chris Teale shares news of the new crash fatality data, providing the following specifics from the report:
There were 36,096 fatalities in 2019, down 739 (2%) from 2018, though vehicle miles traveled increased by 0.8%, NHTSA said. Fatalities in most major traffic safety categories saw decreases too: there were 169 fewer pedestrian deaths (down 2.7% from 2018); 568 fewer fatalities caused by alcohol-impaired driving (down 5.3%); 630 fewer deaths of passengers in cars (down 2.8%); and 813 fewer fatalities in urban environments (down 4%).
Teale also notes that the new report should be taken with a grain of salt, as 2020 is likely to undo the progress made in 2019.
"The [NHTSA] said in a special supplementary report for the first half of 2020 that while the number of traffic fatalities between April and June are projected to decrease, there are projected fatality increases across various categories, including in rural areas; among people aged 16-24 years old; with risky drivers, in rollovers and ejections, and among occupants of older vehicles," according to Teale.
Planetizen has also been tracking traffic safety reports as they've come out this year.
- Fatal Collisions Increase Per Vehicle Miles Traveled During Pandemic (May 2020)
- As the Pandemic Rages, Carnage on U.S. Roads (July 2020)
- Carnage on the Roads During the Pandemic (October 2020)
FULL STORY: Traffic fatalities dropped slightly in 2019: NHTSA

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums
The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.

Scottsdale Cuts Water Supply to Nearby Suburb
The city claims it has no responsibility to provide water to the unincorporated Maricopa County community.

Utah Could Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit
A proposed state bill would bar cities from requiring parking in areas adjacent to transit stations in an effort to make housing production more affordable and encourage walking and transit use.

Where Pandemic Bike Improvements Won Out
While some cities are reverting back to pre-pandemic street configurations, others are taking advantage of the momentum for bike and pedestrian infrastructure to make pandemic-era projects permanent.

Atlanta Transit Plans Stall Due to Budget Concerns
With MARTA facing a potential billion dollar shortfall, the agency says it can’t fulfill its system expansion plan.
Town of Reading
Meridian Consultants
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
St. Louis County, MO
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.