Although driving declined in 2020, U.S. pedestrian deaths increased, especially among Latinos and other people of color, according to the new Dangerous by Design report from Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Pedestrian deaths have risen each year since 2009 – up 62% overall since then. Why? Roads in America are designed and funded primarily to quickly move people driving. Also, vehicles have been getting larger and more powerful. But speed comes at the expense of safety. Although transportation planners, engineers, and agencies claim to seek simultaneous goals of speed and safety, these two goals are incompatible, signified by the rising trend in pedestrian deaths. “States must use the enormous freedom and flexibility of federal ...
With roads designed to favor cars and the growing size of megacars – SUVs and passenger trucks – it’s no surprise traffic fatalities are on the rise among drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This makes vehicle safety a high priority. But did you know that the U.S. vehicle safety rating system doesn’t consider people outside the vehicle? Now is your chance to tell the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) to modify their vehicle safety rating system. Submit the following Salud America! model comment to tell NHTSA you want a vehicle rating system that accurately reflects the dangers vehicles pose to pedestrians, bikers, and others outside the vehicle. Comments are due June 8, 2022. Update June 2023: ...
America’s approach to road safety continues to fail, especially for pedestrians. The number of people walking who have been struck and killed by people driving grew 45% from 2010 and 2019, according to the new Dangerous by Design report from Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Why? Policymakers in cities and states across the country continue to trust unsafe street design practices that prioritize speed for people driving, enable larger vehicles, and rely on police enforcement and ineffectual education campaigns to promote safety. Experts urge federal, state, and local leaders to adjust road design to prioritize pedestrians and other forms of active travel such as bicycling, as well as quit blaming individuals and relying on police.
The Most ...
Walking and biking are critical transportation options for physical and mental health. More importantly, they are essential to get to destinations, particularly Latinos during the coronavirus pandemic — including those who are simultaneously less likely to work from home than their white peers and more likely to be impacted by job loss. When the pandemic began, the portion of auto loan accounts in financial hardship jumped from 0.64% in March to 3.54% in April, according to TransUnion. Financial hardship status is defined by factors incliuding: A deferred payment or frozen past-due payment because a person is unable to keep up with payments due to a change in financial circumstances, such as loss of a job
Significant cut in hours or pay
Medical illness To recover and ...
Medical and health experts agree that being active outside is crucial to maintaining physical and mental health—as long as we keep 6 feet of distance between each other amid coronavirus. But social distancing is hard when so many more people are using sidewalks, trails, and parks. That’s where open streets can help. Open streets, which close streets to vehicle traffic, create more outdoor space for people to walk, bike, roll, and stay active and socially distant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sign a petition by the Rails to Trails Conservancy to urge local leaders to close select streets to car traffic, and open them for human activity during this global pandemic! SIGN THE PETITION!
The Growing Need for Open Streets
As the U.S. coronavirus pandemic continues, trail ...
With schools and retail stores closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, more people are going outside to walk and bike in communities across the country. Philadelphia and New York are closing some streets to cars and open them to people walking and biking. This gives people room to practice six-foot social distancing rules as they pick up groceries, get physical activity, and grab some fresh air amid the coronavirus lockdown. But some cities and states are closing parks amid virus fears. This worsens existing inequities in access to green and open spaces for Latinos and other disadvantaged communities. Equitable access to green and open spaces is more important than ever.
Outdoor Recreation is Surging during Coronavirus
Social media is abuzz about the spike in people outside ...
People in lower-income neighborhoods die while walking at much higher rates than those in better socio-economic areas. Why? Impoverished communities are significantly less likely to have sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and street design to support safer, slower speeds, according to Smart Growth America.
Dangerous Congressional Districts
Moreover, many communities have spent decades designing streets for speeding cars rather than prioritizing safety for walkers, bikers, and those taking transit. Since federal dollars and policies helped create these unsafe streets, Smart Growth America thinks that federal funds, policies, and guidance have a significant role in fixing existing and designing future streets. To urge guidance from elected representatives, Smart Growth America and ...
Transit-rich, walkable communities strengthen the local economy, create opportunities for Latino and other vulnerable residents, and enhance community resilience. That’s why America Walks, a nonprofit organization, released four case studies sharing collaborative efforts to improve safety, walkability, and access to transit in four communities across the country. This is another effort in their Transit-Walkability Collaborative, which was established in 2017 by America Walks and eight other organizations. As part of the case study series, America Walks recognized: Nashville, Tennessee (10.4% Latino); Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (17.3%); Hartford, Connecticut (44.3%); and San Bernardino, California (64.3%). Two counties in particular offer valuable insights into inspiring ...
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (Safe Routes) is raising awareness to end over-policing as a safety solution in walking and biking initiatives. Racial profiling by police, for example, threatens drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists of color. These Latinos and other minorities, who already face less safe roads and fewer places to walk and bike, deal with a greater burden of traffic and pedestrian violations, too. Safe Routes wants you to stand up for minorities by sharing on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. “As walk and bike advocates, we need to come together to protect people in communities made vulnerable not only by missing and poorly maintained bike lanes and sidewalks and inequitable policies, but also by over-policing,” wrote Holly Nickel, coalitions and ...
