City officials say serious crashes are down by 34 percent on streets that were the target of Complete Streets projects.
According to Philadelphia city officials, crashes with fatalities or serious injuries are down 34 percent on streets that received traffic calming projects, reports Thomas Fitzgerald in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“That conclusion was based on comparing crash data on 35 stretches of roadway where the city or PennDot has built traffic-calming features with the number and severity of collisions on similar streets that were not changed,” Fitzgerald explains.
Anecdotally, residents living near the Cobb Creek Parkway, one of the streets that received a safety overhaul in 2021, say traffic is noticeably more tame.
The safety projects are part of Philadelphia’s Complete Streets initiative, which includes road diets, separated bike lanes, and Neighborhood Slow Zones, focused especially around schools. “Since the first two [Neighborhood Slow Zones] were installed in Fairhill and around Willard Elementary School in 2022, the zones have had no fatal or serious injury crashes. All reported crashes in the zones are down 75%.”
The city has a reserve of $220 million in state, federal, and local funding to continue building on Complete Streets projects over the next several years.
FULL STORY: Serious car crashes down 34% on Philly streets with traffic-calming measures, city says
Philly Speed Camera Program Cuts Fatalities in Half
Excessive speeding along dangerous segments of Roosevelt Boulevard dropped by 90 percent after the city installed automated enforcement cameras.
Philly Road Safety Advocates Call for Action From the City
Mayor Parker’s administration is proposing massive cuts to the city’s Vision Zero program while pedestrian and cyclist deaths remain high.
Philly Mayor Proposes Major Cuts to Vision Zero
Despite promises to make the city’s roadways safer for pedestrians and cyclists, the proposed budget slashes Vision Zero funding nearly in half.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)