Road Safety
Banning Right Turns on Red Can Improve Road Safety
Taking a second look at the widespread, but dangerous, practice.
Calls to Stop Relying on Sharrows Grow Louder
The painted symbols can not only fail to protect bike riders, but can actually make riding conditions less safe.
Chicago Advances Smart Streets, Complete Streets Ordinances
Two proposed laws would enhance road safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and improve the city’s multimodal infrastructure.
Majority of American Drivers ‘Afraid’ of ‘Self-Driving’ Cars
Responses to a AAA survey indicate a rising fear of automated vehicles in the wake of high-profile crashes and federal investigations.
Seattle Vision Zero Review Largely Misses the Point
The city released what it called a comprehensive review of its Vision Zero initiatives, but one critic argues the report doesn’t address some key opportunities for improving road safety.
Report: Pedestrian Deaths Rose Again in Early 2022
New data shows continued growth in pedestrian road deaths in most U.S. states.
Recall Affects Over 360,000 Tesla Cars with ‘Full Self-Driving’ Software
Federal regulators are asking the carmaker to update the software on vehicles equipped with FSD due to its poor safety record.
Unreadable License Plates Led to Lost Revenue, Safety Concerns
In New York City, the rate of unreadable license plates caught on speed cameras rose in 2022, prompting concerns from safety advocates about scofflaw drivers.
California to Consider Weight-Based Registration Fees for Larger Vehicles
A proposal in the state legislature would assess the relationship between vehicle size and road deaths and injuries and could pave the way for higher registration fees for heavy vehicles.
Chicago Bike Lane Enforcement Proposal Draws Criticism for not Addressing Structural Flaws
A new ordinance would use automated enforcement to ticket drivers who block bike lanes, but some bike advocates say the city is avoiding the harder work of improving its bike infrastructure.
Federal Initiative Calls for Action on Roadway Safety
Close to 50 governmental and nongovernmental organizations signed on to a pledge to take concrete action to reduce traffic deaths around the country.
Opinion: Connecticut Vision Zero Bill A Step in the Right Direction
The proposed legislation could energize efforts to eliminate fatal crashes and fix the structural flaws that make roads inherently more dangerous.
Safe Streets Grants Announced
The federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program funds planning and implementation for road safety projects aimed at reducing traffic deaths and building safe infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users.
Washington Focuses Road Safety Efforts on Individuals, Neglecting Design
Legislative efforts to reduce traffic deaths could move the needle toward Vision Zero, but state leaders failed to commit infrastructure funds to making structural improvements.
Traffic Safety Bills Proposed in Washington’s State Legislature
As traffic fatalities continue to climb in Washington and around the country, three proposed state bills would prohibit some right turns on red, reduce the BAC limit for DUI arrests, and require more young drivers to take driver’s education courses.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Houston Traffic Deaths Dipped in 2022
Fatal crashes killed slightly fewer people in 2022 than in 2021, but deaths are still significantly higher than in 2019.
How Design Guidelines Can Reduce Road Safety
Signs and markings designed for traffic control can make conditions less safe for pedestrians and other road users.
New York Speed Limiting Pilot Shows Promising Results
City vehicles equipped with speed limiting technology showed nearly complete compliance with speed limit laws and a significant reduction in hard-braking events.
Electric Car Batteries Spark Weight Concerns
A federal transportation official is warning that electric vehicle batteries, which can weigh thousands of pounds and make cars much heavier than their gas-powered counterparts.
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
