The inequities felt by communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 are replicated in auto-centric vaccine roll-outs.
Accessibility
MnDOT improves critical pedestrian crossings on reservations
A new HAWK crossing shows how transportation agencies can identify safety improvements through an equity lens.
SSTI releases practitioner guide to measuring accessibility
We’re excited to announce our new guide for practitioners, Measuring Accessibility.
The Divisive Legacy of an Urban Freeway in Austin, Texas
Groups such as the Austin Latino Coalition argue that while the Black and Latino residents east of I-35 are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, they’re not being prioritized to receive the vaccine. Locating the majority of vaccine providers to the west of I-35 (figure 1) represents a burden to the east-side residents who may rely on transit in this city—considered the most car-dependent in Texas.
New Accessibility Manual Summarizes Data, Methods, and Applications
A new manual from academics and practitioners (led by David Levinson of the University of Sydney) brings together a rich and broad literature on “doing” accessibility, describes methods for calculating metrics, and offers practical advice on tools and data sources.
Linking transportation, housing, and health in planning and policy
A new report from SSTI highlights the potential benefits of infill development for accessibility and health in the City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Major roads undercut safety benefits of highly accessible places
In working with transportation agencies across the U.S., our team often faces questions about the role of safety in accessibility analysis. While we know the safety and comfort of streets clearly impacts access for people on foot or bicycle, the effects of accessibility on overall safety haven’t been clear. Fortunately, leading experts in both accessibility and traffic safety recently teamed up to answer this question.
In the midst of nationwide transit service cuts, more than one million rural households do not have a car
Many transit agencies have been forced to drastically scale back services due to rapidly declining revenues, and rural providers are no exception. Many were already operating on incredibly tight budgets, serving large geographic areas with a small staff of part-time drivers. While it is easy to see how pandemic-related service cuts will impact people in urban areas who rely on transit, the impacts will likely be just as devastating for many rural communities, especially the pockets of rural America with disproportionately low car ownership.
Canadian non-driving seniors less likely to engage in activities outside the home
A study of out-of-home participation in social and civic activities among Canadian senior drivers and non-drivers sheds light on the problems faced by both individuals and communities to keep older adults engaged and healthy. Of particular concern was the finding that non-driving seniors in rural areas and small towns had a significantly higher decline in out-of-home activities when they no longer had a driver’s license.
California highway projects face review for induced travel
The implications of California’s SB 743 (2013), which is widely if somewhat imprecisely known as the “move away from level-of-service to vehicle-miles-traveled bill,” became clearer last week, as Caltrans issued guidance on which transportation projects will require evaluation for VMT effects.