How Dutch Cities Restored the “Freedom to Roam”

Five decades ago, Delft made some urban planning decisions that granted children the freedom to freely and safely wander the streets of their city.

Bikeability, Infrastructure, Roads and Streets, Success Story, Transportation, Urban Design, Walkability, #SlowtheCars, Top StoryMelissa Bruntlett & Chris BruntlettJune 29, 2021Netherlands, Delft, bikeability, bike infrastructure, history, #SlowTheCars

The Subtle Relationship Between Traffic Deaths and Congestion

What officials and engineers need to understand before sinking more resources into infrastructure investment.

#SlowtheCars, Transportation, Roads and Streets, Top StorySteffen BerrApril 5, 2021Steffen Berr, transportation, traffic congestion, #SlowTheCars, roads, streets, traffic engineering

The Mailbox: Can traffic cameras make our streets safer?

Our streets are “dangerous by design.” We answer a listener’s question about the role of automated enforcement in making them safer.

#SlowtheCars, Marohn, Roads and Streets, Strategies, Tactical Urbanism, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 5, 2021Safety, #SlowTheCars, tactical urbanism, speed, traffic engineering

When "Easy to Maintain" Shouldn't Be the Goal

Cities should take responsibility for getting the factors right that make public spaces lovable and worthy of care.

#SlowtheCars, Herriges, Maintenance, Mistakes A Town Makes, Public Space, Walkability, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 1, 2021trees, Florida, sidewalks, #SlowTheCars, prosperity

The "Diverging Diamond": Greenwashing Auto Infrastructure

A proposed new “diverging diamond” interchange in Massachusetts is being sold as pedestrian-friendly. In truth, it is a profoundly pedestrian-hostile design.

#SlowtheCars, City Observatory, Top StoryJoe CortrightMarch 29, 2021Diverging Diamond, cars, #SlowTheCars, Joe Cortright, City Observatory, Massachusetts

Beth Osborne: America's Roads are "Dangerous by Design"

With so much money and lip service (“Safety is our top priority”) paid to safety, why are pedestrian deaths higher than ever?

Transportation, Roads and Streets, #SlowtheCars, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 22, 2021#SlowTheCars, Transportation For America, Street Design

Pedestrian Deaths Are Up 45% in the Last Decade. When Is Enough Enough?

America is in the midst of an unrelenting crisis. And it’s happening on our roadways.

#SlowtheCars, Roads and Streets, Top Story 2, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 12, 2021Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, Florida, Smart Growth America, #SlowTheCars, STROADS

The Most Important Pedestrian Safety Document You've Never Heard Of

Engineers and transportation departments defer to it all the time, but “the Manual” isn’t actually making our streets safer.

Roads and Streets, #SlowtheCars, Top StoryAngie Schmitt & Mike McGinnFebruary 25, 2021pedestrian safety, pedestrians, MUTCD, Street Design, America Walks, Mike McGinn, Angie Schmitt, #SlowTheCars

What Can We Hope For from a Mayor Pete D.O.T.?

We were encouraged by what Pete Buttigieg was able to do as mayor of South Bend: slowing the cars, revitalizing downtown, and more. What can we hope for as Mayor Pete heads to the federal D.O.T.?

Transportation, Upzoned, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 3, 2021South Bend, #SlowTheCars, USDOT, Upzoned

Most “Pedestrian Infrastructure” Is Really Car Infrastructure

Houston’s “Energy Corridor” gets a pedestrian makeover, but just one thing seems to be missing: Pedestrians.

#SlowtheCars, Walkability, City Observatory, Top StoryJoe CortrightFebruary 1, 2021Pedestrian Safety, pedestrians, pedestrian crossing, Houston, Texas, #SlowTheCars, Joe Cortright, City Observatory, walkability

Best of 2020: An Ordinary Intersection

An accidental photo essay courtesy of Street View provides us a look at the appallingly low standard for what we expect people who walk in suburbia to put up with.

Herriges, #SlowtheCars, Walkability, Best of Blog, Top Story 2Daniel HerrigesDecember 17, 2020walkability, #SlowTheCars, safety, pedestrian safety, Orlando, Florida, Best of 2020

Lo mejor de 2020: Una intersección ordinaria

Un ensayo fotográfico accidental, cortesía de Street View, nos proporciona una mirada al nivel espantosamente bajo de lo que esperamos que aguanten las personas que caminan por los suburbios.

Herriges, #SlowtheCars, Walkability, Best of Blog, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 17, 2020walkability, #SlowTheCars, safety, pedestrian safety, Orlando, Florida, Best of 2020

Taking Pedestrian Safety Into Our Own Hands

The feds don’t have serious solutions to the problem of pedestrian safety. It’s up to us to take action right where we are.

Top Story, Walkability, #SlowtheCarsJohn PattisonOctober 20, 2020pedestrian safety, #SlowTheCars, NHTSA, Transportation For America, Joe Cortright

Now Is the Time to End Traffic Fatalities. Here's a Simple Plan to Do It.

We’ve engineered our streets for high performance when we should be engineering them for safety. Now’s the time to unwind the mess. Here’s how to do it.

#SlowtheCars, Roads and Streets, Top StoryCharles MarohnAugust 24, 2020pedestrian safety, vision zero, #SlowTheCars, traffic engineering

Slowing the Cars in Austin

A new ordinance in Austin is trying to slow drivers and protect pedestrians. But does the city’s plan go far enough in addressing a key factor in creating safer streets: street design?