The move raises concerns among road safety advocates who point out that traffic deaths continue to rise.
Complete Streets projects in Houston could be in jeopardy after Mayor John Whitmire called for a reevaluation of projects involving pedestrian and bike infrastructure, alarming safety advocates and other local leaders. Writing in Governing, Jared Brey explains that“More than 300 people died on Houston's streets last year, a substantial increase from pre-pandemic figures that aligns with an upward trend of traffic violence nationally.”
The administration called for a pause on all projects involving road diets, crosswalks and other pedestrian infrastructure, and bike lanes, including those already under construction and some that received federal funding.
According to a Houston Chronicle article, “To date, Whitmire's perceived approach has focused on curing the symptoms of the disease, but not the cause, calling on increasing police activity to enforce traffic laws and suggesting bikers stay in recreational lanes to avoid danger.” A spokesperson for the mayor’s office says the administration wants to focus on the city’s high-injury network, a database of the most dangerous streets and intersections that account for the most deaths and injuries.
FULL STORY: Houston’s New Mayor Pumps the Brakes on Street Safety Projects
The Best Complete Streets Policies in the US, Ranked
San Antonio and Nashville top the list, with most large cities not making an appearance in the top 40.
Philadelphia Swaps Car Lanes for Bikeways in Unanimous Vote
The project will transform one of the handful of streets responsible for 80% of the city’s major crashes.
Southeast LA Road Safety Advocates Call for Improved Infrastructure
Streets in southeastern Los Angeles County have a severe lack of protected bike lanes and traffic safety measures, leading to high numbers of fatalities in a community where many residents depend on walking and biking for daily needs.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association