An additional benefit of the 14th Street Busway project in Manhattan has emerged: greatly reduced traffic collision rates.
Gersh Kuntzman writes: "The car-free 14th Street Busway is a real lifesaver. No, literally."
The benefits of the city’s transit-priority pilot program between Third and Ninth avenues in Manhattan are well documented: buses are moving much faster and ridership is up as a result of the improved service.
But the project is having a much greater, and much-less-heralded, safety impact.
The article includes data comparing the period from the busway's opening in October 2019 to January 2020 with the same period from the previous year. The difference is drastic.
"In the four months since the busway began in October, total crashes are down 53 percent and injuries are down 63 percent compared to the same four-month period a year earlier," according to Kuntzman. The article concludes with an appeal to deliver the same kind of safety benefits to additional congested, dangerous corridors around the city.
FULL STORY: The ‘Busway’ Proves Another Benefit of Car-Free Streets: Safety
NYC Pedestrian Deaths Rose in 2024
The city’s Vision Zero efforts seem to have stalled.
NYC Sees 127 Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2024
The number is the highest since the city pledged to end traffic deaths through Vision Zero policies a decade ago.
NYC’s Vision Zero Program Saved $90 Million in Medicaid Costs
While traffic fatalities remain far above zero, the city saw fewer injuries compared to areas without Vision Zero initiatives.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
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.
Study: Walkability Can Help Reduce Dementia Risk
Walkable neighborhoods offer natural opportunities to stay active and engaged with friends and neighbors, increasing residents’ chances of remaining mentally and physically healthy longer.
Empower LA: The LA2050 Grants Challenge
The 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge invites organizations to become outreach partners and help mobilize Angelenos to vote on how $1 million in grants will be allocated to address key local issues like homelessness, income inequality, and park access.
Take a Walk: Why Step Count Is the Most Valuable Fitness Metric
Step count remains the most valuable fitness metric for longevity and well-being, offering a simple yet powerful way to track daily movement, reduce health risks, and promote active lifestyles without reliance on complex data or technology.
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.
City of Edmonds
City of Albany
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research