Friday’s Headlines Are Dangerous By Design
It's almost as if streets designed for drivers to go fast kill people on foot. Plus, the bike shortage, walking while Latino and more.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on March 12, 2021
- Smart Growth America released its latest Dangerous by Design report, which highlighted a 45 percent increase in the number of pedestrians struck and killed by drivers over the past decade (Smart Cities Dive). The data is something of a paradox — even as traffic declined in the pandemic, speeds rose, so more people actually died in crashes — emphasizing the need for better street design (Curbed). Yet the list of the most dangerous states is depressingly familiar, with the same 10 states ranked at the top as last year (Streetsblog USA).
- It’s not a climate bill per se, but the American Rescue Plan will take cars off the road by bolstering transit, help cities and states climate-proof their infrastructure and, more broadly, shows Democrats are willing to tackle the issue. (The Atlantic)
- Bikes are in high demand, but manufacturers are too wary of the boom-bust cycle to build more factories (Bicycle Retailer). If you can find one, the Washington Post has a guide on what to look for in an e-bike.
- A New York City man who is a legal U.S. resident spent 15 months in detention and was nearly deported after being arrested for jaywalking (NY Times). About 90 percent of jaywalking tickets were issued to Black and Latinx pedestrians in 2019 (Streetsblog).
- White nationalists like one in Charlottesville have been using cars as weapons to disrupt and even kill left-wing protesters, and now the Oklahoma House wants to grant them immunity. (Oklahoman)
- Congressional Republicans are trying to turn an Orange County, California, streetcar into a national controversy. (Register)
- The mayor of Covington, Kentucky, says a new bridge across the Ohio River to Cincinnati would “eviscerate” the city. (Enquirer)
- Better transit is one of the top infrastructure needs in San Antonio, according to a new report. (KSAT)
- Green New Deal? Infrastructure plus-plus? Bloomberg collected nine new names for President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan.
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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