Vehicle fatalities are trending upward around the United States, but Colombia's capital of Bogotá may have some best practices to share.
From 1996 to 2006 Bogotá's vehicle fatalities were cut in half, the city employed a number of different tactics around messaging about safety and physical infrastructure investment. "Many elements contributed to this success, including the city’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, Transmilenio, which debuted in 2000; the creation of an ambitious network of bike lanes, and improved pedestrian sidewalks and crossings," Anna Bray Sharpin writes for World Resource Institute.
The city also sought to tie vehicle fatalities to issues the population was more passionate about. A campaign called "Life is Sacred" talked about not only vehicle fatalities but also evocative safety issues like homicide. Framing the issue as part of a broader health crises "…generated increased support for changes to public transport and public space," Bray Sharpin writes.
Read the full story: “Life Is Sacred”: The Surprising Link Between Reducing Homicide and Traffic Fatalities in Bogotá
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