Pedestrian Safety
Opinion: Put Pedestrians First—End Jaywalking Laws
To reduce pedestrian deaths, we must restore their rights as primary street users, argues a former NYC traffic commissioner.
Opinion: U.S. Traffic Deaths are a Regulatory Failure
One writer argues that rules that prioritize driver safety and ignore pedestrian infrastructure have led to a sharp increase in fatalities on U.S. roads.
Seattle Recalculates Walk Signal Timing to Make Crossings Safer for Pedestrians
The new formulas for calculating the length of walk signals are designed to give people more time to safely cross the street.
2020 Could Set Records for Pedestrian Fatality Rates
The novel coronavirus wasn't the only public health risk spreading around the United States in 2020.
Pedestrian Activity Increased Most Outside of Cities in 2020
The locations with the largest increases of pedestrian activity during the pandemic year are all in Florida.
Virginia Set to Pass Bill Lowering Minimum Speed Limit
The Virginia General Assembly has passed a bill that would allow localities to set speed limits as low as 15 miles per hour.
Oregon DOT Studies Impact of Race and Income on Road Safety
The findings of a recent memo highlight the disproportionate effects of unsafe road conditions on low-income people and BIPOC communities.
Zero Traffic Deaths Isn't as Far Fetched as It Sounds
Even supporters of Vision Zero—a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities from roadways adopted by cities and states all over the United States—doubt that such lofty ambitions are possible. But there are plenty of reasons to believe in the cause.
Pedestrian Safety Still Not a Priority in the United States
Dangerous by Design 2021 quantifies the transportation sector's ongoing neglect of the health and safety of people performing that basic human action of taking a walk.
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.
Portland had an 'Unusual and Tragic' Year for Traffic Deaths
The Portland Bureau of Transportation's annual traffic crash report highlights the city's slow progress towards its Vision Zero goal.
Opinion: 'Performative' Pedestrian Improvements Need Deeper Scrutiny
Minor pedestrian-oriented improvements alone won't improve walkability if infrastructure still prioritizes fast-moving vehicles, according to this article.
Jaywalking Legalized in Virginia
Beginning in March, police will no longer be able to stop people for crossing the street outside of a crosswalk, a small component of reform intended to protect BIPOC from the historically discriminatory application of traffic laws.
U.S. DOT Releases First-Ever Pedestrian Safety Plan
Record numbers of pedestrians have been killed by drivers in recent years. The federal government says a "team effort" will be necessary to stop the carnage.
Pedestrian Safety Experts: Decriminalize Jaywalking
Angie Schmitt and Charles T. Brown make nine arguments against the criminalization of jaywalking.
'Pedestrians First' Measures Walkability for Babies, Toddlers, Caregivers, Everyone
The ITDP's new Pedestrians First tool describes why and how to improve walking conditions, and provides comprehensive analysis of walkability for 1000 cities.
Back-Up Driver of Autonomous Vehicle Charged With Negligent Homicide of Pedestrian
The broader safety implications of the death of Elaine Hertzberg after being struck by an Uber autonomous vehicle in Tempe is still being litigated. Last week, the back-up driver of the vehicle was charged with negligent homicide.
How to Produce Equitable Pedestrian Plans
The majority of pedestrian master plans consider how to make equitable walking infrastructure. Less than half of plans implement strategies to address the fact that people of color are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities.
20 Is Plenty in D.C., Starting Today
Speed limits in Washington, D.C. are safer for everyone.
Atlanta Lowers Speed Limits Citywide
Vision Zero arrives in one of the country's most car-centric big cities.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
