This case study was written as part of our Dangerous by Design Technical Assistance program. This initiative brought together champions from across the country to advance street safety efforts through data collection and storytelling. This study was written by Laura Hardwicke, Safe Mobility Manager at the City of Orlando.
One major misconception we encounter in our work is that smart growth principles like Complete Streets, public transit, and mixed-use development are just for big cities and don’t apply to small towns. But over the years, we’ve seen countless examples of rural places that used these strategies to great benefit. I recently traveled to such a place–Brattleboro, Vermont.
Smart Growth America (SGA) and its transportation program, Transportation for America (T4America), are looking to recruit an intern to support its technical assistance, research, and advocacy work. Organizational overview About Smart Growth America Smart Growth America envisions a country where no matter where you live, or who you are, you can enjoy living in a … Continued
Advancing equitable transit-oriented development requires all hands at the community level, but leadership at the state and federal level can also help propel change.
Land use and transportation are inherently intertwined. For example, even a strong network of bike lanes or sidewalks will not be used if people have to travel long distances to get from one destination to another. Although land use and transportation should be considered an inseparable pair, we often find that many people have difficulty connecting them.
The US prides itself on being a global leader. Yet there’s one way we’d rather not be leading—in the number of people dying on our roads. Across all income levels, among the countries with the largest populations, we’re the only one where deaths reached these historic highs.
7,522 people were hit and killed while walking in 2022—an alarming increase that represents a 40-year high in preventable pedestrian deaths. Yet, at the local level, these deaths are often seen as individual instances, disguising the depth of the issue. Gaps in slow-to-update national datasets are part of the problem.
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.
We’ve always said that “you measure what you treasure” and the limited, incomplete data about the deaths of people walking suggest that it’s simply not a crisis that our nation cares about. But that doesn’t need to be the end of the story. Here are some specific recommendations to bring things out of the dark ages and into the modern age, while making it clear that reducing these deaths is a top priority for transportation agencies at all levels.
On July 9th, 2024, Smart Growth America and partners engaged the Future of Transportation Caucus and the Office of Senator John Fetterman on the importance of creating a transportation system that is safe for all users.