Focusing on individual behavior won’t make our streets safer
Troubling trends in two very different places highlight the urgent need to focus on systemic change to prevent additional deaths.
Author: Heidi Simon
How Transportation for America’s principles support Complete Streets
As the National Complete Streets Coalition works with communities to develop, adopt, and implement Complete Streets policies, we look to Transportation for America’s three key principles for guidance on what to prioritize and how to move to a brighter future in transportation.
We need to protect vulnerable road users, not fine them
A recent response to the traffic safety crisis in New Mexico was yet another example of the status quo approach of criminalizing individual behavior—particularly the behavior of the most vulnerable—in an effort to make the full system safer. It’s time for a better approach.
Everyone benefits from safety over speed. Yes, even drivers.
When we design our roads for the speed of vehicles, we sacrifice safety and comfort for everyone, including people who primarily travel behind a wheel.
Design interventions for safer streets
Smart Growth America has been writing about the need for changes to street design for a long time—the first edition of Dangerous by Design came out in 2009. Despite the discouraging trends in pedestrian safety, our message remains consistent. In order to make environments safer for people walking, we need to actually change our environments. The data is clear that improving street design to slow cars, reduce conflict points, and proper and consistent infrastructure for pedestrians is the only way we’ll move the needle on safety.