Road safety advocates say the 2021 infrastructure bill doesn’t fully commit to its stated goals to help cities eliminate pedestrian and cyclist deaths.

Funding safety improvements via the 2021 infrastructure law won’t be enough to eliminate road deaths in the United States, say experts who are urging policymakers to take more drastic action. As Maylin Tu writes in Smart Cities Dive, “According to Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, government leaders must champion public transit and increase safety for all road users, especially the most vulnerable.”
Advocates point out that the infrastructure law “perpetuates our nation’s bias for cars” and allocates insufficient funding to pedestrian and bike safety efforts. For example, states are only required to spend part of their Highway Safety Improvement Program on safety improvements if pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities make up 15 percent or more of traffic fatalities.
“But all the rest of their money can go to create more problems that need to be fixed by these little bitty programs in the future,” says Beth Osborne, vice president for transportation and thriving communities at Smart Growth America. And while federal agencies are starting to recognize the increased risks to pedestrians posed by larger vehicles, car safety testing still largely focuses on the safety of the people inside the car.
FULL STORY: Getting to zero traffic fatalities will take more than infrastructure funds, experts say

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.

Opinion: Transit Agencies Must View Service Cuts as Last Resort
Reducing service could cripple transit systems by pushing more riders to consider car ownership, making future recovery even less certain.
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