The case for a Director of the Public Realm in New York City
By Elizabeth Goldstein and Adam Ganser
New York City may be best known for its skyline, but roughly 40 percent of its land area is composed of streets, sidewalks, plazas, arcades, waterfronts, parks, natural areas, playgrounds, community gardens, and Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), which collectively constitute the public realm…
The rise of the car opened the door to more intrusive policing with disastrous consequences for racial equity. We are trying to change that.
By Rigel Robinson and Ben Gerhardstein
Philando Castile was pulled over for a broken brake light.
Sandra Bland was pulled over for failing to signal a lane change.
Byron Lee Williams was stopped for biking without a light.
All three died at the hands of police allegedly in the name…
Lessons from the frontline of the fight against a Texas highway expansion plan
By Susan Graham
In 2002, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), proposed alleviating congestion in the Houston region by expanding an already-massive freeway. Despite almost two decades of problems, rising traffic fatalities, the astounding proposed cost of $7 billion, the time-tested assurance that new lanes will quickly fill with new…
Knowing which SUVs are the greatest danger to cyclists and pedestrians will push automakers to build safer SUVs
By State Senator Andrew Gounardes
Every year, automakers design and manufacture larger and larger SUVs and light trucks. With each new model, the threat to pedestrians and cyclists increases dramatically, and with that, the urgent need for transformative policies to combat this fatal pattern. The increased threat that these vehicles…
The once-pilot, now permanent effort to protect Hackney’s schoolchildren
By Doolin O’Reilly
It’s autumn again, which means back to school and back to the all-important school run. At approximately the same time every day, nearly every child needs to travel to and from school, an enormous undertaking that spans the city. …
When cyclists crash into pedestrians, the media coverage is extensive. I looked into how common the problem really is.
By Peter Tuckel
Plenty of anecdotal evidence exists which suggests that collisions between cyclists and pedestrians are a common occurrence. The media is filled with stories about pedestrians being hit or nearly hit by cyclists. Headlines from the New York Post — “NYC bicyclists are killing pedestrians and the city…
How art on our streets can bring communities together, beautify neglected spaces, and save lives
In recent years, many cities around the world have made Vision Zero commitments, but leaders are finding it more difficult than expected to tame traffic violence. Nearly a century of prioritizing moving automobiles as quickly as possible has created unfriendly, unsustainable infrastructure, a dominating and indignant car…
For the future of road safety, we must ask ourselves how to think beyond the box and do what’s right for all road users. We have a proposal.
For years, the Vision Zero community has worked diligently to solve the intractable problem of serious injuries and fatalities on our roads. We’ve raised alarms using the ever-rising statistics proving road users are at risk. …
How cities are making streets safe quicker and more easily than ever before
By Jenny O’Connell
The United States stands out among peer nations as the most dangerous place to walk, bike, and drive. We lose nearly 40,000 people each year to traffic violence, a per capita rate double that of the European Union and Canada. Pedestrian deaths, concentrated in our pedestrian-dense cities…
In Durham, North Carolina, a model for community listening
By Aidil Ortiz
The pandemic pushed all sectors of society to think differently about their work, and at city transportation departments across the country, the most common models sought to give residents safe ways to move freely outside: Slow Streets, Shared Streets, Open Streets. As the Durham, North Carolina Transportation…
