L.A. Plans to Fix its Streets

The Dept. of Public Health is behind the initiative because it sees growing evidence that the built environment can have an effect on physical activity.

Project on Public Spaces looks at some of the chapters from the book, which includes traffic calming, bikeway designs, and pedestrian crossings:

"Simply put, pedestrians must have the ability to safely cross the street. Real and perceived safety is important and is not well reflected by crash data, i.e. 'maybe no body gets killed here, because no one feels safe enough to cross.' Planners should use treatments that are proven to reduce crashes. Transit stops should always have good crossings, because trips typically begin and end on opposite sides of the street. Above all, evaluate the success of new crossings using performance measures."