Two new reports confirm the racial disparities of traffic violence in the United States, revealing more proof about who stayed home during the pandemic, and who was forced to navigate the risks of the pandemic in public.
We already know that U.S. traffic deaths soared during the pandemic, despite fewer people driving fewer miles. Now a new report adds another layer onto the tragic figures: Black Americans accounted for a disproportionate impact of traffic fatalities during the pandemic.
Reporting for CNN, Matt McFarland broke the news about a report published on June 3, 2021 by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated earlier this month that 38,680 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020, the largest projected number of deaths since 2007, despite a 13.2% decrease in miles traveled from the prior year. When broken down along racial lines, white pedestrian deaths grew 4%, American Indian fatalities grew 11%, and Asian and Pacific Islander deaths declined 29%.
But NHTSA found the largest increase in deaths — 23% — among Black people in what appears to be a stark illustration of which populations could and could not afford to stay home throughout the pandemic.
The increased traffic fatalities among Black Americans during the pandemic continued a trend that predates the arrival of the novel coronavirus to the United States. Traffic deaths for Black Americans rose 16 percent from 2005 to 2019. During the same period, traffic deaths for white people fell 27.8 percent.
More data on the racial disparities in U.S. traffic fatalities can be found in a separate report by the Governors Highway Safety Association titled "An Analysis of Traffic Fatalities by Race and Ethnicity," published on June 22, 2021.
News of both studies gained traction around the national news media, including articles for The Washington Post and NBC News.
FULL STORY: Traffic deaths jump for Black Americans who couldn't afford to stay home during Covid
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
New York City Traffic Fatalities Pass 2019 Totals
The visions of a car-free utopia that might have seemed like a potential silver lining in March and April have given away to a tragic reality.
Traffic Fatalities Set Records as Pandemic-Era Road Carnage Shows No Signs of Stopping
An estimated 42,915 people died in automobile crashes in 2021, according to recent federal data. The increasing fatalities continue a trend that began with the outset of the pandemic.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
