The dominance of parking has devastated once-vibrant downtowns by turning large areas into uninviting paved spaces that contribute to urban heating and stormwater runoff. It has driven up housing costs, since developers pass on the cost of providing parking to tenants and homebuyers. And it has perpetuated people’s reliance on driving by making walking, biking and public transit far less attractive, even for the shortest trips. Why, then, does the U.S. have so much of it?
Chris McCahill
Everyone deserves to cross the street safely, including wildlife
Safety is a top priority for every state DOT, and in many parts of the country that effort extends to wildlife, as many species are changing their migration patterns to adapt to climate change.
State DOTs’ commitment to equity made clearer through federal Request for Information
Equity, diversity, and inclusion have been of growing importance among state and federal transportation agencies, and yet there isn’t a clear consensus on how that commitment translates into tangible outcomes. A new report from the Policy Lab at Claremont McKenna College, produced in partnership with SSTI, offers some clarity through an in-depth look at state DOT responses to the USDOT’s Request for Information on transportation equity data, which was released last year.
Connecting streets may reduce congestion without sacrificing safety
Studies show that gridded, highly connected street networks improve safety, disperse traffic, increase access, and are more sustainable than more disconnected designs such as the “loops and lollipops” found in sprawling contexts. To help planners better characterize connected neighborhoods and inform street design decisions, researchers at the University of Utah have developed a street design index of the density and connectivity of street networks.
State laws are empowering people to cross the street
Amid drastically rising pedestrian deaths, more states are considering how changes in pedestrian laws can help tip the balance in favor of those on foot and inspire a cultural shift to make walking safer and more commonplace.
The amount we drive could make or break clean energy plans
There is an important growing consensus around the need for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The White House, Ford Motor Company, and many state and local governments seem to be on board. Yet the transportation sector—still an afterthought in some bold plans—may be our biggest challenge.
Pre-pandemic traffic is slowly coming back but with a shifted peak. Are we prepared?
Last year saw a major shift from in-person work to teleworking, especially for white-collar workers. Although teleworking did not extend to essential workers—many of whom were seen commuting via public transit—it did lead to a brief period with no rush hours and empty roads.
A small town transforms its main street and community
The town of Hillsboro, Virginia, is celebrating the reopening of its main street—Virginia State Route 9—after extensive reconstruction. The installation of sidewalks, crossings, parking, and traffic circles at either end of town has helped to slow traffic and restore a residential feel to this more than 200-year-old rural hamlet.
Hawaii shows pedestrian safety can improve, even in historically dangerous year
The rate of pedestrians struck and killed by motorists in the U.S. has increased by 45 percent in the last decade and the pandemic has only made it worse. Despite many factors at play, Hawaii has gone against this trend, with pedestrian fatalities dropping from 37 in 2019 to 21 in 2020.
Safer systems are needed to curb traffic deaths
The U.S. needs to adopt a “Safe System” approach to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries, according to the Institute of Transportation Engineers and policy experts at Johns Hopkins University. “Our current roadway system reflects a history of flawed decisions about land use, opportunity, investment, and racial and ethnic equity,” they write in a recent issue of ITE Journal, pointing to the impressive safety records in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and other countries that adopted the approach early on.