Research from Chicago suggests that the city’s traffic calming infrastructure is concentrated in the most affluent neighborhoods, contributing to higher rates of road deaths in lower-income neighborhoods.
An article by Erica Gunderson for WTTW News examines the uneven deployment of traffic calming devices in Chicago, an issue that can have a significant impact on traffic safety amid rising rates of road deaths.
According to José Miguel Acosta Córdova, senior transportation policy analyst at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Chicago’s wealthier North Side has more traffic calming measures in place than the South and West sides of the city. And while traffic tickets are also issued at higher rates in these neighborhoods, “Leslé Honoré of the Center for Neighborhood Technology says responding to traffic deaths with increased ticketing misses the mark.” As Honoré sees it, “What we need is better planning, what we need are streets that are designed for everyone and not just for cars.”
Honoré continues, “We know when this city was planned and how segregated it is, that Black and Brown communities weren’t given the infrastructure and were under resourced purposefully. And what that creates is the legacy of continued under-resourced communities, infrastructure that’s not maintained, streets and sidewalks that aren’t walkable.”
FULL STORY: Traffic Deaths Are On Rise This Year. How Does Chicago’s Segregation Impact Safety?
Traffic Deaths Rise Sharply on Western Roads
The region is seeing higher rates of road deaths in part due to larger vehicles, high speed limits, and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.
Report: Racial Gap in Traffic Deaths Persists
Communities of color have significantly higher rates of traffic fatalities, according to federal research.
Texas Road Safety Messaging Blames Pedestrians, Ignores Structural Flaws
Critics of the state’s ‘Be Safe. Drive Smart.’ campaign say the messaging puts the onus on pedestrians and cyclists while failing to address the lack of robust pedestrian and bike infrastructure in many of its cities.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
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
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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