Distracted Walking
Against Victim Blaming
One common scapegoat for rising pedestrian death rates is "distracted walking." But there is little reason to believe that smartphone-wielding pedestrians are a major cause of roadway carnage.
Report: Dangers of Pedestrian Texting Overblown
Distracted walking is never a great idea. But in New York City at least, texting while walking only led to 2 out of 534 pedestrian deaths from 2014 through 2017.
Walking Directions, Assisted by Augmented Reality
Augmented reality could boost safety for pedestrians, or it could add another layer of distraction between people and the real world.
New York to Consider Fines for Distracted Walking
A state senator in New York thinks one way to lower the number of pedestrians killed every year is to penalize people who cross the street while looking at their phone.
Studies: Drivers Far More Distracted Than Walkers
Two articles in national publications share findings from recent studies that make it harder to accept the "distracted walking" excuse for increased traffic fatalities.
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
Editorial: Ditch the Foolish Distracted Walking Tickets
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.
Ford Coins a New Term to Protect Cars from Pedestrians: 'Petextrians'
The Ford Motor Company picks a side in the traffic safety debate.
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.
Friday Funny: Sarcastic Responses to Honolulu's 'Distracted Walking' Ban
The Onion's always-sardonic "American Voices" feature allows some totally fake people to respond to Honolulu's recent decision to make it illegal to text while crossing the street on foot.
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.
Infrastructure for Distracted Pedestrians: Streetlights in the Ground
Responses to the new pedestrian infrastructure in Bodegraven are likely to say these crosswalk signals in the ground are victim-blaming or Millennial-coddling.
New Jersey Considering Fines for Distracted Pedestrians
Having launched a pedestrian safety campaign focused on education, legislators may go a step further to tackle another 'E'—enforcement. But rather than drivers, pedestrians looking down at their smart phones will be the targets.
The Perils of Walking While Under the Influence of Your Phone
Everyone seems to do it, in fact you may be doing it right now, but beware the injuries that await from distracted walking.
Distracted Walking: Finally, Some Hard Data
It's serious, and the data is surprising. You need not be a pedestrian to experience injury while walking using your cell phone: half of all injuries occurred in the home. Two thirds of all walking-using-cell phone injuries were females.
Cell Phones Fail the Eyeball Test for Public Safety
Citing anecdotal evidence from Montgomery County, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and China, a Washington Post article argues that cell phones are creating public safety concerns.
Chinese City Installs Special Lanes for Distracted Walkers
In both a literal and figurative sign of the times, the Chinese city of Chongqing recently installed signage and marking to segregate pedestrian traffic between smartphone users and those walking free of such technological distractions.
Portland Pilots Project to Raise Pedestrian Awareness
With smartphone use eclipsing 60% of mobile subscribers, "distracted walking" is a growing problem in communities across the United States. Portland is testing out several technologies to prevent pedestrians from walking in front of buses.
The Dangers of Distracted Subway Riding
Former Treasury Secretary LaHood made distracted driving a pet cause. The dangers of walking and texting are well documented. But would could straphangers have to fear from smartphones? Plenty, as the death of a S.F. Muni rider illustrates.
App To Warn You When You Are About To Be Hit By A Car
Carmakers are developing technologies to alert drivers and pedestrians if they are about to collide.
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.
Los Alamos County
City of Culver City
Skagit Transit
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners
