A study finds that most drivers disregard for the rights of pedestrians to cross the road. Visual cues, however, provided by street design, greatly increase the likelihood that drivers will yield.
"Most drivers tracked in a new Chicago-area survey failed to comply with a state law requiring them to stop for pedestrians, a finding that the research's backers attribute to inadequate police enforcement and education on traffic-safety laws," reports John Hilkevitch.
The study, conducted by the Active Transportation Alliance at 52 locations in Chicago, also found that streets designed to improve pedestrian safety greatly increases the safe practice of drivers.
For sake of comparison, "61 percent of motorists did stop for pedestrians at painted crosswalks that also had other safety features, including in-road "stop for pedestrians'' signs, brick or stone crosswalks, raised crosswalks or flashing beacons"
However, "compliance…was only about 18 percent on average when the pedestrians attempted to cross a street in a traditional painted crosswalk," and "the compliance rate plummeted to almost 5 percent at unmarked crosswalks."
FULL STORY: Many drivers ignoring crosswalk law: study
Chicago Left Turn Traffic Calming Reduces Crashes
The city installed reflective posts and speed bumps at dangerous intersections to induce drivers to take left turns more slowly and carefully.
To Protect Pedestrians, Keep the Cameras
Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago pedestrian advocacy group, urges Mayor Rahm Emanuel to improve red light cameras rather than remove them. Despite complaints from drivers, well-advertised cameras can reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Pittsburgh Excels at Low-Cost, Quick-Build Traffic Calming
The city’s traffic calming initiative has led to a 6 percent average reduction in speeds on corridors with recent interventions.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Opinion: Make Buses More Like Sidewalks
Sidewalks are an intuitive, low-cost, and easily accessible mobility tool. Can local buses function in the same way?
How Cities Can Support Climate Adaptation
In the face of federal cuts to climate resilience funding, a panel at ULI’s Resilience Summit offered suggestions for maintaining managed retreat and other climate adaptation programs.
Transportation Research Centers Lose Key Federal Funding
The federal University Transportation Center program funds critical transportation research and innovation at 35 consortia of colleges and universities.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions