Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

A series of bills proposed in the Michigan state legislature would protect cyclists and other vulnerable road users by strengthening the state’s laws against drivers who kill pedestrians or cyclists in crashes.
As David Horak explains in an article for Wood TV, “Under current law, drivers who kill or seriously injure a vulnerable road user are often charged with a misdemeanor, “moving violation causing death,” which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail.” In more severe cases, charges such as second degree murder have been brought, but these are an exception, creating a significant gap between a misdemeanor with little penalty and a second-degree murder charge.
Now, a proposed package of legislation would close the legal gap by introducing “new felony charges with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $7,500 fine for crashes that result in a death, and up to five years or $5,000 for serious injuries.”
According to Horak, “The updated legislation also consolidates earlier versions of the bills to streamline the process and improve their chances of passage.”
FULL STORY: Bills would bridge legal ‘gap’ for deadly crashes, cyclists say

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)