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

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure
After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions