Traffic Safety

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Chicago Commute

Planning for Congestion Relief

The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

May 12, 2022 - James Brasuell

Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio Pledges $51 Million for Traffic Safety

The state’s department of transportation will invest in a variety of traffic safety projects as traffic fatalities reach their highest level in decades.

May 10, 2022 - Transportation Today News

A pair of crash test dummies in a car after a crash with air bags deployed.

Acceptable Deaths

What can we learn from our Covid response?

May 5, 2022 - Angie Schmitt

Pedestrians

Leading Pedestrian Intervals an Effective, Low-Cost, Pedestrian Safety Solution

Bellevue, Washington is acting on the data and giving pedestrians head starts at busy intersections around in the city’s downtown.

April 28, 2022 - The Urbanist

A person on a bike waits at an intersection by leaning against the curb.

Bicycle Friendly States: Massachusetts Tops the List

For the first time since the League of American Bicyclists started ranking states for bicycle friendly practices and policies in 2008, Washington State does not appear at the top of the list.

April 26, 2022 - League of American Bicyclists

Ghost Bike

Opinion: U.S. Must Prioritize Safety for Non-Drivers

The rise in cyclist and pedestrian deaths in the United States points to preventable failures in road design and regulations.

April 24, 2022 - The New York Times

Rendering of A.I. road monitoring camera

How A.I. Can Promote Vision Zero

Forget self-driving cars—some low-cost artificial intelligence tools can improve traffic safety now.

April 21, 2022 - The New York Times

Cars and trucks on a Tennessee freeway

Tennessee Highway Safety Agency Launches Anti-Speeding Initiative

The state’s Highway Safety Office will boost enforcement and public awareness in an effort to reduce traffic deaths from speed-related crashes.

April 21, 2022 - WZTV Nashville

Congestion versus mobility

How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion

Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.

April 20, 2022 - James Brasuell

Rendering of autonomous vehicle with woman reading at the wheel

States Have the Power To Regulate Autonomous Vehicles—But Most Don’t

States tend to default to national standards for regulating AVs, but federal officials have been slow to implement rules directed specifically at autonomous vehicles.

April 20, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Crosswalk

‘Idaho Stop’ Now Legal in Colorado

Colorado is the latest state to make it legal for people on bikes to treat stop signs like yield signs when no cars are in the intersection.

April 15, 2022 - Bicycle Colorado

Congestion

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion

What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

April 13, 2022 - James Brasuell

Austin Pedestrians

Vision Zero Is Largely a Failure in the United States. Why?

From NIMBYism to entrenched traffic engineering culture, a variety of complex obstacles have prevented Vision Zero advocates from achieving the movement’s goals in the U.S.

April 13, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Protected Bike Lane

Protected Bike Lanes Deliver Numerous Benefits, Study Says. But Is it Enough to Change State Law?

Advocates in Philadelphia are pushing state lawmakers to finally pass a law to make it easier to install protected bike lanes on state routes.

April 13, 2022 - PlanPhilly

Text and Drive

Study: Distracted Driving Contributing to Dangerous Roads

Many drivers report feeling pressured to respond to work-related calls or texts while driving, leading to more distracted driving and riskier road conditions.

April 12, 2022 - Fleet Owner

Rendering of slip lane with corner island

The Trouble With Slip Lanes

Right-turn lanes can make traffic flow more smoothly, but make roadway conditions more dangerous for pedestrians and other road users on non-motorized vehicles.

April 11, 2022 - Next STL

Pedestrian Safety

Report: U.S. Pedestrians Keep Dying at Higher Rates

Pedestrian deaths rose again in the first half of 2021, according to research from the Governors Highway Safety Administration.

April 10, 2022 - Governors Highway Safety Association

Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati To Consider $1 Million Traffic Calming Program

A proposal before Cincinnati's city council would boost traffic calming initiatives and use innovative technology to slow traffic on some of the city's most dangerous streets.

March 29, 2022 - Cincinnati.com

A sign reading "Is Denver Bike Friendly?" is pictured with no background.

Colorado Legislature Approves 'Idaho Stop' Bill

Pending Gov. Polis's signature on a bill approved recently by the Colorado State Legislature, Colorado will become the latest state to allow people on bikes to yield at stop signs.

March 27, 2022 - Colorado Politics

Los Angeles STreet

Los Angeles To Reduce Speed Limits on 177 Miles of Streets

The city approved speed limit reductions on close to 200 miles of city roads in an effort to reduce traffic deaths and move closer to Vision Zero.

March 8, 2022 - Streetsblog Los Angeles

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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