Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Loads of good stuff today on the Streetsblog Network.

Portland Transport has a post on the connection between cul-de-sac development and safety for all street users, as discussed at the Congress for the New Urbanism Transportation Summit in Portland.

2233436864_d1836d5933.jpgWhat are the dangers of cul-de-sac development? (Photo: TheMuuj via Flickr.)

For me the highlight presentation on opening day…was about the safety effects of different street network types.

The study was based on looking at all cities in California with
population of 40,000 or greater. The surprising finding was that cities
built before 1950 are safer (in terms of both serious injuries and
fatalities for all classes of users: auto drivers/passengers, cyclists
and pedestrians) than cities built after 1950.

The differences appears to be in the type of street network. Compact
street grids seem to be safer, compared to the arterial-collector-local
street 'tree' style of street network popular in post-war development.

No link to the study itself yet, but we're interested in hearing more.

More from around the network: Urban City Architecture launches a series of posts on the pressing issue of pedestrian safety in Miami. Bello Velo reports on a new driver education campaign designed to improve cyclist safety in Huntsville, Alabama. And Copenhagenize is looking for your opinion on the safety of daylight headlight requirements.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

How to Tell the Story of a Highway Teardown

This podcaster is traveling the country in search of stories about America's freeway-fighting movement. Is yours on the list?

March 9, 2026

Monday’s Headlines Are Rockin’ the Casbah

The king called up his jet fighters, said "you better earn your pay." But now Sharif don't like $100-a-barrel oil prices.

March 9, 2026

Opinion: Deportation is a Transportation Issue

The shared infrastructure of deportation and transportation highlight an ethical dilemma; can we solve it?

March 9, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Wrote Themselves

Blame it on AI. That will fix everything.

March 6, 2026

Friday Video: How Boomers Broke the Auto Market

Take a deep dive into America's SUV apocalypse — and learn how the next generation can undo the damage.

March 6, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: The Annual Prediction Show with Yonah Freemark

Yonah Freemark joins Talking Headways for their annual discussion of future of transit in the United States (and Mexico).

March 5, 2026
See all posts