Month: January 2016

-> The traffic light turns red at the busiest pedestrian crossing in Mexico City, used by around 9,000 people every hour. Tonight, a driver stops his grey Peugeot exactly on the crossing where the masses are trying to pass. A masked man dressed in black, his black and white striped cape, flapping behind him goes to the car, flings his cape over his shoulder, and pushes the Peugeot backwards to make space. “My name is Peatónito, and I fight for the rights of pedestrians,” he says. https://bit.ly/1MTyv6k
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

-> Since September, the City of London has banned HGVs (heavy goods vehicles) without safety equipment to protect cyclists and pedestrians. Vehicles of more than 3.5 tons entering London must now be fitted with sideguards to protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision, along with Class V and Class VI mirrors to give the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians. Transport for London (TfL) is also planning to require HGVs to be fitted with larger windows to improve direct vision, and may also extend the scheme in the future to include sensors to detect cyclists. HGVs are disproportionately represented in cyclist deaths in the capital. Of the eight deaths so far this year, seven have involved HGVs. https://bit.ly/1Pwle3v
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

Abstract
A decade ago, compactness/sprawl indices were developed for metropolitan areas and counties which have been widely used in health and other research. In this study, we first update the original county index to 2010, then develop a refined index that accounts for more relevant factors, and finally seek to test the relationship between sprawl and traffic crash rates using structural equation modelling. Controlling for covariates, we find that sprawl is associated with significantly higher direct and indirect effects on fatal crash rates. The direct effect is likely due to the higher traffic speeds in sprawling areas, and the indirect effect is due to greater vehicle miles driven in such areas. Conversely, sprawl has negative direct relationships with total crashes and non-fatal injury crashes, and these offset (and sometimes overwhelm) the positive indirect effects of sprawl on both types of crashes through the mediating effect of increased vehicle miles driven. The most likely explanation is the greater prevalence of fender benders and other minor accidents in the low speed, high conflict traffic environments of compact areas, negating the lower vehicle miles travelled per capita in such areas.
https://m.usj.sagepub.com/content/53/2/247.abstract?rss=1

-> The GAO (U.S. Government Accountability Office) reviewed pedestrian and cyclist safety data and challenges in addressing pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and injuries as a growing percentage of all traffic fatalities and injuries. This report (Pedestrians and Cyclists: Cities, States, and DOT Are Implementing Actions to Improve Safety: https://1.usa.gov/1QYPvcz) examines: (1) trends in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and injuries from 2004 through 2013 and characteristics of these fatalities and injuries; (2) safety initiatives selected states and cities have implemented and their views on challenges in addressing this issue; and (3) actions taken by DOT to help improve safety. https://1.usa.gov/1T0OLRL
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

[B’ Spokes: It is my belief that what is next to the road is just as important as the bike/ped facilities on the road (ROW.) A short proof is biking or walking by the “auto mile” lots of shiny cars all packed in brightly colored parking lots, one right after another. That’s a miserable walking or biking experience. On the other side, a tree lined street without every scrap of space dedicated to storage of unused automobiles, that can be a rather nice walking/biking experience, even with out facilities for biking or walking. In short, when we get what’s next to the road wrong the more we need facilities for biking/walking. So that’s why I am sharing this article with you.]
https://www.streetsblog.net/2016/01/07/a-letter-grade-system-for-walkable-retail-buildings/