Often car-centric, these cities in the South and West are working to make their roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.
As their populations—and the number of pedestrian deaths—grow, Sun Belt cities Jacksonville Tucson and Memphis are rethinking their transportation planning strategies to improve safety and mobility for their residents. An article by Dan Zukowski, Julia Himmel, and Shaun Lucas in Smart Cities Dive reveals that “Nine of the 10 most dangerous states for pedestrians are in the Sun Belt, according to a 2022 Smart Growth America report.”
The article describes the road safety efforts that three cities—Tucson, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles. In Tucson, “The city is now looking to introduce ‘road diets’ with bikeways and safer crossings, thus reducing and slowing traffic for a ‘better pedestrian experience on those roadways as well as reducing vehicular crashes,’” according to its Complete Streets program coordinator.
In car-centric Jacksonville, “The [Jacksonville Transportation Authority] is working with the city of Jacksonville, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation to focus road construction more on people and less on automobiles as they build additional roadways” by improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure along transit corridors, among other projects.
In Los Angeles, where half of the county’s fatal and severe-injury crashes occur on 4 percent of roads, “DPW is implementing tactics to improve pedestrian safety that include curb extensions to slow vehicles making right turns, high-visibility crosswalks and traffic signals that give pedestrians extra time.” Thanks to new flexibility created by a state law that allows cities to adjust speed limits for safety, Los Angeles lowered speed limits on 177 miles of road in 2022.
FULL STORY: Can Sun Belt cities go from danger zones to pedestrian-friendly?
Jacksonville Takes Action on Vision Zero
The city is implementing its first-ever Vision Zero Action Plan in an effort to reduce pedestrian and cyclist deaths and serious injuries.
Traffic Safety Efforts Chug Ahead — Too Slowly for Some
Around the United States, traffic deaths are growing or plateauing, yet efforts to make roads safer still face political opposition.
A Look at Milwaukee’s Vision Zero Efforts
The city is making slow but steady progress on reducing traffic deaths. Some advocates say changes aren’t being implemented fast enough to save lives.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research