Pedestrians

Op-Ed: Houston Should Try to Kill Fewer Pedestrians
City officials in Houston have shown little regard for the safety of its people when they're walking outside, argues an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle.

For Once, Cars, Not Pedestrians, Make Room for Construction
In a welcome turnabout of the usual state of affairs, a Philadelphia construction site gives a lane of traffic to pedestrians to make up for the three blocks of sidewalk it's taking.

A New Long-Range Transportation Plan for Madison, WI
Proposed long-range transportation plan for Madison emphasizes biking, walking, bus rapid transit.

How Should Lower Manhattan Handle Its Crowd Problem?
In the period since 9/11, Lower Manhattan has undergone a residential boom. With daytime professionals and tourists also in the mix, the strain is showing.

New York Launches Campaign to Warn Drivers and Pedestrian About Darkness
In an effort to curb traffic accidents, which typically increase with longer nights, New York is launching a 'dusk and darkness' ad campaign.

Bill Introduced to Relieve Congestion—on Sidewalks
New York City has come a long way since the Giuliani days, when sidewalk barriers were placed at intersections to facilitate turning vehicles, thus prohibiting pedestrians from crossing the street.

The Best Urban Walks From Around the World
The Guardian has surveyed its readers to discover the why and where of urban walks.

Walkability Reaches a Tipping Point
With the rise of globalization, and urbanization, people are rethinking how cities should be structured in terms of transportation and mobility. Is it possible to reconfigure auto-centric cities into pedestrian-friendly spaces?

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street
In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

2015 Road Toll: 35,200 Fatalities
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released preliminary fatality estimates for 2015. Deaths jumped by 2,525, an increase of 7.7 percent over 2014. Pedestrians and bicyclists saw the biggest increases.

Barcelona 'Superblocks' Aim to Cut Down on Cars
Seeking relief from noise, pollution, and incessant traffic, the city of Barcelona has a bold plan to repurpose street space. "Superblocks" will route cars around the perimeter, leaving interior streets open for walkers and bikes.
Minneapolis Puts Pedestrians First in Adopting New Complete Streets Policy
Expanding on the complete streets policies that have come before it, the new Minneapolis complete streets policy prioritizes users: first pedestrians, then bikes, then transit, and, finally, cars.

Safety Improvements for Texters Around the World
Cities are experimenting with safety measures for pedestrians who text while they walk, but the projects could benefit everyone.

Op-Ed: An 18-Lane Street Is Too Complete
Rockville, Maryland has plans to create a king-sized complete street along Rockville Pike, incorporating lanes for cars, bikes, buses, and more space for landscaping. But can a street like that still serve pedestrians?

Friday Funny: Morgan Freeman Narrates the Pedestrian Experience
The most famous voice in narration, Morgan Freeman, visited Jimmy Kimmel Live and put his vocal talents to good use.

Accounting for the Indecision of Pedestrians
A post on Ars Technica digs into the complicated world of pedestrian modeling and identifies a culprit in the problems with existing models: indecisive people.
Nova Scotia Cracks Down on Jaywalkers—Advocates React As Expected
The provincial government has taken draconian measures on jaywalkers in an effort to curb pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
An App for Navigating While Walking
A new app called Walc makes navigating while walking easier to do. Even more ambitiously, Walc aims to make it easier to make the choice to walk, rather than drive.

The Perils of Walking While Under the Influence of Your Phone
Everyone seems to do it, in fact you may be doing it right now, but beware the injuries that await from distracted walking.

Pro-Walking, or Anti-Car?
The line between being pro-pedestrian versus being anti-car can be hard to distinguish, at times. A new experiment to ban cars from the inner city of Oslo, Norway, however, could reveal more about the distinction.
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