Road Safety
America's Faulty, Dangerous Transportation Systems
Safety is an escalating issue in America across the maritime, air, highway and rail networks, as revealed in this extensive investigation by The Center for Public Integrity and News21.
Report Finds Driving Down, Roads In Good Condition
A new report from The Reason Foundation finds that the nation's roads and highways are in the best shape of the last 19 years. The authors contend that this fact is largely a result of fewer people driving due to the recession.
Bike Lanes Make Streets Safer for Pedestrians
A new study from the New York City Department of Transportation shows that streets with painted bike lanes are 40% less dangerous for pedestrians, among other findings.
Reducing Cyclist-Pedestrian Accidents in Japan
New rules in Japan say that cyclists are liable for accidents between themselves and pedestrians, especially on the country's sidewalks.
Street Interventions In Brazil
Activists in Brazil took advantage of their country's fascination with the World Cup to take to the empty streets and paint messages encouraging safer use of the roads.
The Most Dangerous Road in Georgia
Blueprint America reports from suburban Atlanta, where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.
Road Diet Crash Reduction Variations Studied By DOT
This 4-page summary report (PDF) is a summary of a technical paper attempting to show differences in the reduction in road crashes that result from road diets.
NYC Kids are Safer Because They Ride Public Transit More
A recent study shows that traffic fatality rates are lower for children in areas where public transit is widely used.
Gainesville Tracks Drivers Yielding to Pedestrians
Police in Gainesville, Florida are trying to encourage drivers to be more cautious of pedestrians with a new sign and driver tracking program that tracks how many drivers are yielding to pedestrians.
Traffic Accidents Poised to Become the 5th Leading Cause of Death by 2030
The Infrastructurist examines a new infographic published by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of their Global Status Report.
76,000 Pedestrian Deaths
A new report from Transportation for America reveals that over the past 15 years, 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community.
Are Bike Lanes Less Safe?
A new study from the University of Leeds claims that drivers are more careful and leave more room for bikers when there is no bike lane.
London's Naked Street Experiment
London is attempting to make streets safer for cyclists and motorists by turning off traffic lights in one part of the city for a short amount of time.
America's Killer Roads
This oped takes on American street design and blames it for causing countless road injuries and deaths.
Study Showing Danger of Cellphone Driving Buried
The former head of the NHTSA has admitted that he was encouraged to bury the results of a study showing the mounting risk of cellphone use by drivers. The study is being released today under a Freedom of Information Act request.
Cul-de-sacs verboten?: Tim Kaine and Roman Polanski on dead-end streets
As you may have heard in yesterday's Planetizen Podcast, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine doesn't like cul-de-sacs. Most news reports on the story have claimed that the state is "forbidding," "banning," or even "outlawing" the cul-de-sac. In fact, Virginia municipalities can still design, build, and approve any road patterns they wish, but the State will no longer agree to foot the bill for the ongoing maintenance of cul-de-sacs. The news item came up in a staff meeting yesterday and one colleague told us that a friend he was having dinner with declared the move "Un-American!"
Using Prison Technology to Avoid Roadkill
Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a pilot program that uses technology that detects wildlife in order to help drivers avoid hitting them.
Traffic Signs Driving Us to Distraction
Traffic signs on American roadways are so numerous and so distracting to drivers that they are having the opposite effect intended, writes John Staddon.
Biking In Indianapolis Like 'Russian Roulette'
High rates of accidents and few bike lanes make Indianapolis a dangerous place to ride a bike, according to this article.
Safety Through Singing Streets
A bit of bizarre news caught my attention recently and it got me thinking. It was about these roads in Japan that had been designed to play music as cars drive over them. The engineers behind this idea cut thousands of grooves into the roadway, separated them by certain specific intervals, and then drove their cars. What resulted is a weird humming melody that reverberates in the cars as they drive. The video linked below showing the roads and their songs is awesome, but so much more could be done.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
