Traffic Safety

Primary Image

Should Car Safety Technology Protect Bikers and Pedestrians Too?

It wouldn't exactly mean cats and dogs living together, but what if technological innovations could make cars safer for pedestrians and bikers?

February 19, 2015 - The Washington Post

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues 'Mayors Challenge' for Bike Safety

Bike advocates will be pleased with the talk coming from the direction of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

January 29, 2015 - Streetsblog USA

Statistics Show NYPD Enforcing Vision Zero Pedestrian Safety Initiative

The law enforcement results are in from the first year of Vision Zero policy in New York City.

January 27, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

Golden Gate Bridge Safety Measures Inspire Drivers to Speed

In more proof of how far perceived safety goes in establishing the speed of drivers, the California Highway Patrol is dealing with the unintended consequences of changes on the Golden Gate Bridge.

January 24, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

A Small Town Supports Citywide 25-mph Speed Limit

One town in Georgia recently conducted a public opinion poll finding that most of its 19,000-plus citizens support reduced speed limits on all city streets.

January 16, 2015 - Decatur Metro

Report Recommends Bus Rapid Transit to Improve Traffic Safety

A new report by from the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ EMBARQ initiative provides evidence of the benefits of safe, well-designed BRT and bus priority systems.

January 15, 2015 - The City Fix

Safety in Scofflaws: More Research Needed on the Dirty Secret of Biking

An article on Washington Post's Wonkblog says what some bikers were thinking: sometimes it feels safer to break the law.

January 10, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Expo Line

New Transit Safety Narrative

Conventional traffic safety programs emphasize ways that individuals can help reduce their risk, but new research indicates that safety depends largely on community planning decisions that affect how and how much people drive.

January 7, 2015 - Todd Litman

Op-Ed: Lower Houston Speed Limits

A planner makes the case for lower its speed limits in an unlikely city.

January 5, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

Car Bike Lane

Oklahoma City Considering 3-Foot Passing Law for Bikers (Not Drivers)

A new ordinance to be considered by Oklahoma City in January puts the onus to pass with three feet of space on bikers, rather than drivers. Critics argue that the low will further marginalize bikers on city streets.

January 5, 2015 - Bike OKC

Need for Speed? Missouri Considering 75 mph Rural Speed Limit

A bill, HB295, in the Missouri State Legislature would raise rural speed limits, making the state the latest in a group to raise speed limits as traffic fatalities on highways are decreasing.

January 4, 2015 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Busy Crossing Street

Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority

New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.

December 22, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Kid on Bus

Public Transit Increases Safety, Reduces Crime

Public transport is overall very safe (low crash rate) and secure (low crime rate). However, experts seldom promote transit as a traffic safety strategy, and advocates seldom emphasize safety as a transit benefit. It's time for a new narrative.

December 16, 2014 - Journal Of Public Transportation

Toronto to Narrow its Traffic Lanes

Toronto will begin rolling out a program to narrow traffic lanes on the city's streets. The new lane policy, recently completed, was in the works for the past year.

November 28, 2014 - The Globe and Mail

Did Advocates Overreact to Bike Safety Report?

When I read the subtitle to the recent GHSA bike safety report, "Adult Males and Urban Environments Now Represent Bulk of Deaths," I took an interest as I fit that demographic. I was surprised to read here about the dispute that erupted from it.

November 10, 2014 - Governing

Traffic Lights

Lesson from Houston: Crashes Double after Red Light Cameras Removed

Red light cameras are usually controversial. In Houston voters chose to remove 50 cameras at high-risk intersections. Since then, crashes have increased 117 percent.

October 29, 2014 - Houston Chronicle

Dispute Over Bike Fatality Report

The Governors Highway Safety Association released a report titled Bicyclist Safety showing a surge in bike fatalities since 2010. The report provoked widespread media coverage and, also, strongly critical reactions.

October 29, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

Is there a Right Way to Measure Bad Driving?

There isn't one way to measure how badly groups of people (like, say, residents of New Jersey) drive, but there is plenty of data available about how driving often goes terribly wrong.

October 27, 2014 - Five Thirty Eight

Pedestrian Intersection

Intersection Designs that Prioritize Pedestrian Safety

Following the idea that pedestrian safety takes its cues from planners, Rachel Dovey's article on pedestrian safety lists six intersection designs that "actually prioritize pedestrians."

October 20, 2014 - Next City

Bicycle Collisions, Fatalities Increasing in Boston's Suburbs

The Boston Globe crunched the numbers in a recent Massachusetts Department of Transportation report.

October 13, 2014 - The Boston Globe

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.