While American roads didn’t get much safer by the numbers, new policies indicate a shift toward a more sustainable transportation future.
Sustainable transportation had its ups and downs this year, and Streetsblog has compiled a comprehensive list of both.
The bad news first: “2023 was a rocky year for sustainable transportation advocates across the country, starting with the announcement of the final road death toll for 2022, which was, once again, a record breaker.” Meanwhile, highway construction and expansion continues relatively unabated despite federal pledges to ‘Reconnect Communities,’ and transit ridership continued to lag in many cities, putting transit agencies in bigger financial holes.
However, positive developments also made 2023 a successful year. Among the highlights: Safe Streets for All grants that could have a significant impact on traffic safety and walkability, tighter rules around greenhouse gas emissions, and minimum parking requirements falling like dominoes in cities around the country. In general, advocates are sensing a shift in mindset, signaling that “Americans intuitively understand what's broken about American transportation.”
FULL STORY: The Best News of 2023 For Sustainable Transportation Advocates
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.
Pedestrian Deaths Tick Down — But Rose 58 Percent in the Last Decade
Road fatalities fell by a meager 4 percent in the first half of 2023.
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
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.
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Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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