At least one of the country's largest cities has positive progress to report when it comes to reducing the number of people killed on streets.
"As of August 31, overall on-street Chicago traffic deaths were down 24 percent compared to the same time in 2018," reports John Greenfield. "There have also been far fewer bike fatalities than this time this year."
"There were 66 total on-street traffic fatalities this year by the end of August, compared to 87 by this time in 2018, and 77.2 death by this time on average between 2012 and 2016," adds Greenfield
Dave Smith, Chicago Department of Transportation bike and pedestrian Program manager, delivered the good news at a recent Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council meeting.
Greenfield isn't willing to credit Chicago's Vision Zero program for the year's lower fatality numbers, the good news still stands out as an outlier when compared to the rising number fatalities in other large cities with stated Vision Zero goals.
Read the full story: Chicago on-street traffic fatalities are down 24% overall compared to 2018
Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.
Seniors Account for 32% of Traffic Deaths in the Bay Area
Road safety interventions would help protect seniors and other vulnerable groups from traffic violence.
Chicago Saw Fewest Road Deaths in a Decade in 2025
The city’s progress on its Vision Zero goals is threatened by a potential loss of bond funding.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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.
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