The federal manual governing road design is getting an update. Will it encourage real progress toward road safety?

A post on the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) website outlines the key reforms the organization is looking for in the newly revised Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the federal document that dictates how roads are built in the United States.
For many safe streets advocates, the MUTCD is uniquely responsible for the unsafe design of many American roads, where over 40,000 people lose their lives each year. As NACTO points out, “The MUTCD governs all road markings, stop signs, and traffic lights in the U.S., and prioritizes moving vehicles quickly at the expense of safety, sustainability, and accessibility for people walking, biking, using a wheelchair, or riding transit.”
Some of the changes NACTO hopes for in the new MUTCD, which will be released after a review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), include:
- Elevating safety and implementing a ‘safe systems’ approach
- Eliminating the 85th percentile rule and other free-flow speeds in setting speed limits.
- Reforming regulations for signals to make street crossings safer for pedestrians.
- Removing the manual’s new proposed chapter on autonomous vehicles, which, according to NACTO, “absolves AV companies of the responsibility to build vehicles that keep road users safe within the existing transportation network.”
- Removing unnecessary restrictions on the use of paint for bus lanes, bike lanes, and crosswalks; and eliminating design restrictions for urban bikeways that conflict with data on bike safety.
FULL STORY: It’s Time to Reshape the Federal Document That Shapes Our Streets: The MUTCD

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.

Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland