Pedestrian Safety

Although leaders in the Twin Cities seem to agree on the need to improve the appeal of city streets for those on foot, turning those words into actions seems difficult. Bill Lindeke offers three easy solutions that don't involve touching the street.

February 1, 2013 - Streets MN

Our friends at Streetsblog are hunting for the worst intersection in America. Help them decide from among a host of qualified entries.

February 1, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Zak Stone looks at the innovative technologies that Scandinavian companies are developing to improve the safety of the most vulnerable road users.

January 28, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Kaid Benfield proposes not only more walkable neighborhoods in the United States, where a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle every 7 minutes, but also more walking to reverse the country's alarming obesity trend.

January 17, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Commentator D.J. Waldie laments the stunning health hazards for L.A.'s pedestrians, and proposes five solutions to make the city safer for those on foot.

January 1, 2013 - KCET

Please be careful if you're out walking late tonight and tomorrow: January 1st is the deadliest day of the year for pedestrians. The outlook for drivers isn't much better, writes Sarah Kliff.

December 31, 2012 - The Washington Post

In what is either a hopeful sign of the increasing prominence of the pedestrian, or a depressing comment on existing level of pedestrian safety, the installation of a crosswalk in downtown Los Angeles this week was big news.

December 19, 2012 - LA.Streetsblog

The intersection of Yonge and Harbour is just one example of the dangerous conditions that confront Toronto’s pedestrians daily. Are the police to blame for the city’s lack of pedestrian safety?

November 7, 2012 - The Star

Kelly Smith looks at a host of technologies - from thermoplastics to video sensing systems - that local leaders in Minnesota are hoping can make crosswalks safer for pedestrians amid rising incidences of fatalities.

October 10, 2012 - Star Tribune

A new study conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute shows that New York and Los Angeles have much higher rates of pedestrian and biking fatalities than the national average.

October 4, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

The high-profile case of Raquel Nelson, who was arrested when her four-year-old son was killed as she attempted to cross the street with him, and another recent episode demonstrate the Atlanta region's abysmal attitude toward pedestrians.

October 3, 2012 - Streetsblog D.C.

Despite years of consistent decline, and a variety of efforts aimed at improving safety, traffic fatalities spiked by 23 percent last year in New York City. Matt Flegenheimer examines what may be causing the increase.

September 26, 2012 - The New York Times

Diana Nelson Jones describes how residents of "one of the most spirited do-it-yourself neighborhoods in the city" took it upon themselves to improve pedestrian safety.

September 26, 2012 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Following up on a recent LA Times editorial arguing for a "citizens sidewalk brigade" to document the state of every one of the city's sidewalks, rather than a proposed $10 million three-year survey, columnist Steve Lopez registers his approval.

September 18, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Michael Powell looks at the penalties facing drivers that strike pedestrians and cyclists in New York City, and finds depressingly few repercussions.

September 12, 2012 - The New York Times

This week, the Chicago Department of Transportation unveiled the city's first pedestrian plan, aimed at improving the long-term safety of Chicago's walkers, reports Bridget Doyle.

September 6, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

With pedestrian deaths on the rise in Georgia, despite falling automotive fatalities, Andria Simmons and Jeremiah McWilliams look at what is being done to make the Atlanta region's streets safer for those on foot and in wheelchairs.

August 20, 2012 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

As cities across the world expand their infrastructure to support more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environments, outdated laws still support the use of streets by automobiles over people.

August 11, 2012 - Governing

Low income people are more likely to get hit by cars. Kate Hinds reports on the social and infrastructural factors responsible for the disparity.

May 16, 2012 - Transportation Nation

A pedestrian safety study from the University of Maryland overstates the perils of walking while using headphones, while ignoring a fundamental reason for auto-pedestrian accidents--dangerous streets lacking adequate infrastructure for pedestrians.

January 22, 2012 - Transportation for America: campaign blog