The legislation requires cars to keep four feet away from cyclists and other “vulnerable” road users and eases the process for lowering speed limits on state-owned roads.

A new Massachusetts law requires drivers to remain four feet away from pedestrians, cyclists, and other “vulnerable users,” reports Taylor Dolven in the Boston Globe. In 2022, 10 cyclists and 99 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in Massachusetts, Dolven points out.
The law was signed by Governor Charlie Baker on Monday. Advocates say defining vulnerable road users sets “a standard of how motorists need to behave when they’re sharing public space.” The law also requires large state vehicles to install safety devices and gives cities the right to ask for speed limit changes on state-owned roads in their municipality.
As Dolven explains, “Trucks owned or leased by the state will be required to install devices to make it easier for drivers to see vulnerable road users and side guards to prevent cyclists and others from being run over by 2023. Trucks contracted by the state must have the same safety features by 2025.”
FULL STORY: Pedestrians, cyclists gain protections with new law meant to reduce 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.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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