Pedestrian safety
Basics
Seattle Council Member Asks Whether “Jaywalking” Laws Do More Harm Than Good
The concept of "jaywalking" has become deeply embedded in American culture, but if you go back just a few generations, the idea that your mere presence in the street could be illegal was a novel idea. Now one elected official in Seattle is suggesting that laws penalizing people outside of cars have gone too far.
July 28, 2017
Self-Driving Cars Should Accommodate People, Not the Other Way Around
You think victim-blaming is bad now? Making everyone walk or bike with a "don't hit me" device would further penalize the most vulnerable.
July 25, 2017
How “Distracted Walking” Hype Puts Pedestrians at Risk
It's easier to blame pedestrian deaths on victims than to confront our responsibility to create a safer transportation system.
July 25, 2017
Honolulu City Council Wants Tighter Distraction Rules for Pedestrians Than for Drivers
The bill would prohibit people from "viewing a mobile electronic device" while crossing the street. Meanwhile, Honolulu drivers can take their eyes off the road to look at their dash-mounted devices, issue voice commands, and so forth while plowing through an intersection.
July 18, 2017
Nashville Is Finally Tackling Its Sidewalk Problem
In Nashville, only 37 percent of streets have sidewalks, according to the most generous estimates. Now a new law will require developers to build them, or pay a price.
July 3, 2017
Why Looking at Crash Stats Alone Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story About Pedestrian Safety
Some intersections are riskier to cross than others, but looking at the number of pedestrian injuries alone doesn’t tell the whole story. A new study from Minneapolis combines crash data with pedestrian counts to deliver a more nuanced picture of traffic dangers for people on foot. Among the findings: There’s safety in numbers for pedestrians.
June 20, 2017
Media Draw Attention to Deadly Suburban Speedways in North and South Carolina
Newspapers in Greenville and Fayetteville examined hazardous conditions for local pedestrians -- and they did it without using the "J" word.
June 14, 2017
El Paso’s Suburbs Are Getting Sidewalks and Local TV News Talked to Pedestrians About It
A refreshing change from the typical NIMBY-centric coverage of "controversial" sidewalks.
May 31, 2017
Blaming People for Wearing Black Wins the Prize for Anti-Pedestrian Idiocy
It takes a special kind of callousness to say that pedestrians are making city streets dangerous by wearing black. And yet, that's exactly what the Seattle Times did this weekend.
May 31, 2017
Seniors in the Vegas Suburbs Have to Cross Merciless Streets
Senior citizens in the sprawling Las Vegas suburb of Henderson want a safe way to cross the street. The city promises a fix is on the way, but the problem is far bigger than a single crossing.
May 23, 2017
