Traffic Safety

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Austin Pedestrians

On the Life-Saving Potential of Leading Pedestrian Intervals

Giving pedestrians a head start at crosswalks is a simple fix that could save lots of lives. New York City has already seen a significant reduction in fatalities and injuries.

January 31, 2018 - CityLab

Small sneckdown at Hampshire and Elm in Cambridge, MA

It's that Time of Year Again: Sneckdown Time

Every year, all over the country (depending on El Niño and Polar Vortexes), snow covers roads and traffic patterns and snow removal equipment reveals a safer street design.

January 26, 2018 - Blueprint

Speed Limit

Portland Lowers Most of its Speed Limits to 20 mph

Portland has implemented one of the most sweeping commitments to traffic safety of any city in the United States: 20 mph speed limits over the vast majority of the city's streets.

January 19, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Slow Turn Box

U.S. Traffic More Dangerous Than Other Developed Nations

Around the world, car crashes are the tenth leading cause of death, and while the United States is spending money on transportation, that money isn't making the roads safer.

January 17, 2018 - Curbed

Police Enfocement

'Textalyzers' Could Help Cops Bust Distracted Drivers

Chicago is one of the first cities to consider the use of "textalyzers," which would allow police officers to scan phones to see if they were in use during an accident.

January 17, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Pope Mobile

Pope Francis Calls on Us to Be Better Drivers

Imagine all the people, driving safely and courteously.

January 7, 2018 - The New York Times

Detroit, Michigan

Michigan Finally Ready to Protect People on Bikes

A cultural change regarding bike safety for the home of the U.S. auto industry is a long time coming.

January 6, 2018 - Associated Press

Times Square

Get Home Safely Tonight (Or Tomorrow Morning)

CityLab has produced a pair of articles geared toward safe driving behaviors on New Year's Eve.

December 31, 2017 - CityLab

Freeway houses

A New Traffic Safety Paradigm

Despite numerous traffic safety programs, traffic death rates have not declined in a decade and recently started to increase. We can do better! A new paradigm identifies additional safety strategies that reduce both crash rates and risk exposure.

December 18, 2017 - Todd Litman

Rural Traffic

Obama-Era Truck Safety Regulations Up for Debate

The Trump Administration has been defending the interests of the truck industry against regulations proposed during the Obama Administration.

December 6, 2017 - NPR via KPCC

Queens Boulevard

A Vision Zero Success Story in New York

The 300-foot wide Queens Boulevard has been known as the Boulevard of Death. Since 1990, it has claimed 186 lives, 74 percent being pedestrians, including 18 in 1997 alone. A series of safety improvements have brought fatalities to zero since 2014.

December 6, 2017 - The New York Times

Ambulance

How the U.S. Compares to Other Nations in Road Safety

It's not just death from gun violence where the U.S. is an outlier. The New York Times compiled traffic fatality data showing that other developed nations have greatly lower traffic death rates, which wasn't historically the case.

November 27, 2017 - The New York Times

Vancouver, British Columbia

Federal Highway Administration Bureaucrat Says Rainbow Crosswalks Are a Liability

An administrator for the Kentucky division of the Federal Highway Administration informed the city of Lexington that its rainbow crosswalk does not meet federal safety standards.

November 22, 2017 - Lexington Herald Leader

Sign

Autonomous Bus Crashes on First Day of Service

The much-reported Las Vegas Autonomous bus got into a fender bender on its first day of service, the Las Vegas police department concluded the other vehicle was at fault.

November 20, 2017 - The Washington Post

Speed Limit

Raising Speed Limits in the Name of Traffic Safety

Business Insider offers a platform for an argument favored by the National Motorists Association and a particularly vocal Michigan state police officer: that speed limits are too slow to be safe.

November 8, 2017 - Business Insider

Houston City Park

A Call for Better Bike Infrastructure in Houston

It's been a deadly Autumn for bike riders in Houston, and bike advocates are pushing the city to make streets safer for all users.

November 5, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Dangerous Intersection Gets an Overpass and a Cap Park in Golden, Colorado

The city of Golden, Colorado celebrated the opening of the Linking Lookout earlier in October

October 29, 2017 - The Denver Post

Highway Speed

Speed Limit Changes Coming to L.A.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced proposed speed limit changes and enforcement budgets. Changes to the speed limit will mean an increase in most places.

October 22, 2017 - Streetsblog LA

How's My Driving

Friday Funny: Crass Bumper Sticker Finally Coughs Up its Traffic Data

You know the bumper sticker. It's the one that begins with the words "How's My Driving?" and ends with a 1-800 number.

October 20, 2017 - The Onion

Isafjordur, Iceland

Icelandic Town Hopes to Slow Traffic with 3-D Illusion

The small town of Isafjordur, Iceland is hoping an optical illusion painted onto a street will work to slow down drivers.

October 17, 2017 - Visir

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