Traffic Deaths

Busy crosswalk with pedestrians on small street in Austin, Texas.

Austin’s $134 Million Vision Zero Initiative is Paying off

Ten years after the city first pledged to eliminate traffic deaths, it has installed more than 500 new crosswalks and over 100 miles of new bikeways, but has not managed to reduce traffic deaths to zero.

October 14, 2025 - KXAN

Street scene in Helsinki, Finland with people and streetcars.

Helsinki Achieves Full Year With No Traffic Deaths

How did the Finnish capital achieve Vision Zero? It was no accident.

August 8, 2025 - ZME Science

Busy street in Toronto, Canada with CN Tower visible in background.

What US States Can Learn from Canadian Road Rules

Our northern neighbor has managed to slash traffic deaths as U.S. traffic fatalities remain high. What do they do differently?

August 7, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

People crossing the street in a crosswalk with U.S. capitol dome visible in background on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.

DC Traffic Deaths Dropping ‘Substantially’ in 2025

Between January and June 2024, 29 people died in traffic crashes in the District. This year, that number fell to nine.

July 24, 2025 - WTOP

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

July 13, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Family wearing helmets rides down separated bike trail in city.

Proposed Bill Would Direct Funds to Road Safety

The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act was spurred by the death of a U.S. diplomat who was killed on her bicycle.

April 2, 2025 - Bethesda Magazine

Red 1972 Ford Pinto with black racing stripes on display with man sitting in driver's seat.

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto

The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

February 11, 2025 - Mother Jones

Crosswalk on street in Raleigh, North Carolina with parking on both sides and capitol building visible in background.

Raleigh Announces Safe Streets Plan

The city wants to eliminate traffic deaths by 2045.

February 4, 2025 - Hoodline

Aerial view of busy NYC crosswalk with pedestrians and blurred traffic.

NYC Pedestrian Deaths Rose in 2024

The city’s Vision Zero efforts seem to have stalled.

January 5, 2025 - The New York Times

Street scene in Portland, Oregon

Portland Traffic Deaths Surpass 2022 Number

This year, 69 people have died in traffic crashes in Portland, Oregon, nearly twice as many as in 2018, when the city began its Vision Zero program.

December 25, 2024 - KATU.com

Cyclist pressing crossing button at green painted crosswalk.

Audit: Portland’s Vision Zero Needs More Data, Funding

A city audit found that the program has failed to reduce traffic deaths and could benefit from a more systematic approach. Meanwhile, PBOT says it needs more state funding to support road safety projects.

December 15, 2024 - Portland Tribune

Urban separated bike lane with street trees on one side and cars parked on the other

How “Proven Safety Countermeasures” Save Lives

A bill named in honor of a U.S. diplomat killed while on her bicycle would let state DOTs access full federal funding for road safety projects.

November 22, 2024 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of "LOOK" sign on sidewalk with one pedestrian walking away.

Report: San Diego’s Lack of Progress on Vision Zero Mirrors Nationwide Trend

The city’s efforts to improve road safety have been outweighed by other factors such as larger vehicle sizes.

November 19, 2024 - KPBS

Portland Oregon Old Town neon sign and blurred traffic at night.

Portland Traffic Deaths Increased Despite Vision Zero Efforts

Traffic deaths in Portland, Oregon almost doubled between 2018 and 2023.

November 18, 2024 - KATU.com

Aerial view of rainbow painted four-way crosswalk in the Castro district, San Francisco, California.

San Francisco Implements ‘Daylighting’ at Intersections

Vehicles are prohibited from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk as part of the city’s Vision Zero efforts to eliminate traffic deaths and make roads safer.

November 12, 2024 - SFGate

Nighttime view of blurred fast car traffic on street leading to U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.

DC’s Traffic Cameras Are Working, but Not a Panacea

Automated enforcement is reducing speeding, but bigger changes to street design and the built environment are needed to make the District’s streets safer and more pleasant for people walking.

October 22, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Red car turning right on red light.

Banning Right Turns on Red Just One Step Toward Vision Zero

Experts caution that blanket bans on right turns on red make only a slight contribution to reducing fatal crashes, and other interventions are needed to bring down traffic fatalities.

October 8, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

A bouquet of flowers stands in the grass beside a rural road as a car drives by.

11 States With the Most Dangerous Rural Roads

According to a new report, rural roads nationwide see a disproportionate amount of traffic fatalities compared to their urban counterparts. But rural drivers in some states are at greater risk than in others.

September 23, 2024 - tripnet.org

Red 'Welcome to Sacramento' sign in downtown Sacramento, California.

Sacramento’s Traffic Safety Crisis Could Be Declared a Public Emergency

Street safety advocates are calling for a stronger declaration that would focus on road design and equity.

September 19, 2024 - Streetsblog California

Sign above entrance of United States Department of Transportation.

USDOT Issues $1B in Road Safety Grants

The funding is aimed at helping cities plan and implement safety improvement projects to reduce road deaths and major crashes.

September 10, 2024 - Route Fifty

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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