DeFazio, Norton, and Larsen Take on Dangerous Street Design
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is already proving that he’ll put some muscle into the fight for bike and pedestrian safety in his new post as ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
DeFazio and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), top Democrat on the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, have signed on to fellow T&I Democrat Rick Larsen (D-WA)'s letter asking the Government Accountability Office to look into the recent rise in bike and pedestrian fatalities, which increased 6 percent between 2011 and 2012.
At the state and federal level, efforts to improve the safety of walking and biking often blame the victim -- as the Governors Highway Safety Association did when it flagged the recent increase in cyclist fatalities without noting that biking rates have gone up much more. DeFazio and company are emphasizing a much more fundamental problem: street design.
In their letter, they state:
[W]e are concerned that conventional engineering practices have encouraged engineers to design roads at 5-15 miles per hour faster than the posted speed for the street. This typically means roads are designed and built with wider, straighter lanes and have fewer objects near the edges, more turn lanes, and wider turning radii at intersections. While these practices improve driving safety, a suspected unintended consequence is that drivers travel faster when they feel safer. Greater speeds can increase the frequency and severity of crashes with pedestrians and cyclists who are moving at much slower speeds and have much less protection than a motorized vehicle affords.
The GAO responds to lawmaker requests like these by investigating the matter and reporting back to help members of Congress develop a deeper understanding of the issues so they can set better policy. The GAO itself makes recommendations for improvement in the reports.
DeFazio, Norton, and Larsen are asking the GAO to investigate “the relationship between vehicle speed and roadway fatalities" and more specifically, “challenges that states face in improving pedestrian and cyclist safety (including roadway design speeds and FHWA guidelines for road design)” -- particularly “the effects of the common road engineering standard that sets speed limits at the rate 85 percent of drivers would use under regular conditions.”
They also want to know what federal initiatives and funds are needed to help states improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
It’s a lot different than what advocates are expecting from the GOP majority in the spring: more calls to cut federal funding for active transportation. The League of American Bicyclists noted in a recent email to members that while bike activists have been able to fend off five recent attempts to strip bicycle and pedestrian funding from the federal transportation bill, “with the changes to Congress in the November elections it's going to be much harder this year.”
When the 114th Congress is sworn into office January 3, DeFazio will take over the top Democratic spot on the committee from West Virginia’s Nick Rahall, who never counted active transportation as a major priority. Before even assuming the post, DeFazio is showing advocates that he’ll fight harder for bike and pedestrian priorities, and that he gets it.
After all, as he likes to say, he’s the only former bike mechanic in Congress.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Are Friday’s Headlines the New Normal?
Transit ridership hasn't come all the way back from the pandemic, and they're going to need more federal help, along with other changes, says Governing magazine.
Friday Video: How to Make Places Safe For Non-Drivers After Dark
A top Paris pedestrian planner, a leading GIS professional, and Streetsblog's own Kea Wilson weigh in on the roots of America's nighttime road safety crisis, and the strategies that can help end it.
OPINION: Congestion Pricing Will Help My Family Get Around As We Navigate Cancer Treatment
My partner was recently diagnosed with cancer. Congestion pricing will make getting her to treatment faster and easier.
Talking Headways Podcast: Money is a Lot of Different Things
It's Part II of our discussion with Jim Kumon!
If Thursday’s Headlines Build It, They Will Come
Why can the U.S. quickly rebuild a bridge for cars, but not do the same for transit? It comes down to political will and a reliance on consultants.
