Carolyn Kousky, founder of Insurance for Good and longtime researcher on climate impacts and insurance markets, told MIP and SSTI widespread insurance protects local economies, as well as lenders and mortgage markets. “As a warming planet increases the risks of weather-related extremes, insurance becomes harder to get and more expensive. The only long-term solution is serious investments in risk reduction and climate adaptation,” Kousky said in an email.
Delivery
Complex urban streets encourage safer driving
Reducing excessive speeding is one of the most effective ways to improve road safety—especially where people are walking or biking. While lowering speed limits and adding traffic calming measures help, growing research highlights the value of self-explaining streets that give drivers constant cues to slow down.
Pedestrian deaths aren’t accidents—they’re policy failures
Pedestrian deaths are rising faster in the U.S. than in any other high-income country. A decade-long surge, up 50%, has made the U.S. the most dangerous place to walk among 27 peer nations. Many experts view these deaths not as random accidents but as preventable tragedies that reflect deeper policy failures in transportation, infrastructure, and public safety.
Involving walkers and bikers in design can make streets safer
Including road users in a participatory “co-design” process can result in better safety interventions than those made by professional engineers alone, according to a new study. Participatory design incorporates the needs and views of end-users of what’s being designed—in this case, pedestrian crossings used by workers and students.
Climate change, equity factor into recent litigation against state DOT projects
Pursuing statewide or agency climate and equity goals isn’t just preferable for state DOTs, it can also be a matter of risk management. Several lawsuits targeting major transportation infrastructure projects, most recently in Wisconsin and Oregon, have taken aim at alleged failures to consider alternatives to capacity expansion that would reduce harm to the environment or inequitable project outcomes.
DOTs can strengthen local relationships through quick-build street safety programs
Many local community groups have ideas for simple infrastructure upgrades that would improve street safety in their neighborhoods — but without official sign-off from departments of transportation, those ideas may never get a chance to be tested. Some DOTs have created official permitting processes for short-term “quick-build” demonstration projects, where these local groups can test their ideas for safer streets with temporary materials while adhering to official design standards.
Dedicated bus lanes improve safety
The U.S. DOT is funding bus projects across the country that promise many of the same benefits as rail, but at lower cost. With dedicated lanes and stations that are more like train stops than a typical American bus stop, bus rapid transit (BRT) aims to move large numbers of people through congested areas faster than rush hour traffic. This sometimes comes with tradeoffs, like the loss of regular traffic lanes, but it can also offer unanticipated safety benefits, like curbing excessive traffic speeds, according to new research.
Reducing lanes for cars doesn’t slow 911 response
Road diets, for example, converting 4 lanes into 3, provide many benefits including traffic calming and improved safety for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Agencies implementing road diets have seen a 29% average reduction in crashes. However, they often face pushback when planning these conversions, especially from those concerned about potential delays for emergency response. New research suggests these conversions don’t delay emergency response vehicles, meaning they could offer a more balanced approach to safety.
State DOTs could fuel a resurgence in intercity bus travel
While Greyhound bus stations have been closing or relocating and Coach USA enters bankruptcy, some state DOTs are upping their investments in intercity bus service. Riders have been returning to intercity bus routes since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand dramatically. These routes often serve rural destinations without train or plane access, and can take the place of dozens of individual car trips.
Pedestrian deaths often occur at “safe speeds”
Guest post by Chris McCahill, featured in Smart Growth America’s latest Dangerous by Design report. Read the full report here People in vehicles often die in high-speed crashes when speed limits are being ignored. Pedestrian …