A recent report has shed light on the lack of pedestrian signals at intersections around the city of New Orleans, where pedestrians have been injured or killed at greater rates than more populous neighboring parishes.

New Orleans' laissez faire attitude towards pedestrian signals at stop lights is leading to injuries and deaths at intersections around the city. Jessica Williams of The Advocate reports that a lack of funding and choices made by city officials to "narrowly interpret" federal guidelines on signalization requirements has created a situation where four-fifths of intersections in the city with stop lights don't include the accompanying walk/don't walk pedestrian signals.
More people died in New Orleans after being hit by cars than in any other city in Louisiana from 2013 to 2015. In four of the past five years, the city had more than twice the rate of pedestrian injuries as Jefferson and East Baton Rouge parishes, the report said. Both of those parishes have larger populations than New Orleans.
Few pedestrian signals exist in New Orleans partly because the city’s Department of Public Works used “gut calls” and anecdotal evidence to decide where to put them, a move [Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux] said ignored best practices.
“The result was arbitrary departmental practices that discouraged the installation of pedestrian crossing signals and made New Orleans a more dangerous place for pedestrians,” the report said.
Williams reports that new funds for pedestrian signalization is proposed as part of the mayor's upcoming budget, however it will still fall short of covering all signalized intersections in the city.
FULL STORY: Blown red lights don't represent biggest danger for pedestrians in New Orleans, report says

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions