Crossing the street can be dangerous in the best conditions, but a $500 fine for looking at the phone while crossing the street won't help anything, according to this editorial.
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board has seen a few aldermen in the city of Chicago follow the lead of Honolulu (which implemented fines for crossing the street while looking at a mobile phone over the summer). Specifically, "Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, and Anthony Beale, 9th, propose to slap fines of up to $500 on pedestrians caught texting or using a cellphone while walking through an intersection."
According to the editorial, such a law "looks virtually uneforcable." More over, the $500 fine "belongs with other well-intentioned but goofy aldermanic notions, including the famous attempt to put diapers on carriage horses."
Chicago is not the only city to pile on the distracted walking bandwagon—politicians in Cleveland and Stamford, Connecticut have also mulled the idea of prohibiting distracted walking.
The Onion, at least, is more in line with the Chicago Tribune's Editorial Board, as made clear by one of their "American Voices" posts.
FULL STORY: Listen up, fellow cellphone zombies
More Cities Following Honolulu's Victim Blaming Model for Pedestrian Safety
Pedestrian blaming won't make pedestrians any safer, but cities are trying it anyways.
Illegal in Honolulu: Looking at a Phone While Crossing the Street
The Honolulu City Council approved fines for distracted walking—specifically for pedestrians crossing the street while looking at their phones.
California City Bans 'Distracted Walking'
It is illegal to operate a mobile phone to talk, text or listen to music while crossing the street in Montclair, California
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
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