Road Design
New Bill Would Finally Rewrite the ‘Notorious’ MUTCD for Vulnerable Road User Safety
U.S. transportation engineers tend to treat the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices like a bible. A new bill would encourage them to treat it more like a recipe book — and sub out deadly design ingredients when they aren't safe for vulnerable road users.
Study: Wide Lanes Are Deadlier — So Why Do Many DOTs Build Them Anyway?
A 12-foot lane can expect roughly 50 percent more crashes than a 10-foot one. Yet many traffic engineers still pick the wider design.
Study: Yes, SUVs Are Deadlier Than Cars — But on Fast Arterials, Pedestrians Die No Matter What
In car-dependent Tennessee, SUVs and pick-ups aren't driving the pedestrian death surge — because roads are so fast that even the smallest cars will kill anyone they might strike.
Study: Some Paint-Only Bike Lanes May Increase Crashes
Sharrows and paint don't make anyone feel safe. But are they really worse than nothing at all?
Six Changes To Look Out For in the Next Edition of the MUTCD
The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is getting its first update in over a century. Will it make people who move outside of cars safer, or endanger them even more?
Which Cities Have The Fewest Drinking Fountains — And What It Means For Walking and Biking
As climate change causes temperatures to climb, should cities be doing more to help people who walk and bike stay cool and hydrated?
The MUTCD Update is Late — And While We Wait, People Are Dying
Despite a binding requirement the Federal Highway Administration missed the deadline to release a new edition of America's street design guidelines by more than a month. Advocates fear the delay will result in yet another green light for increasing traffic fatalities.
Talking Headways Podcast: Undoing Autocentric Design in a Michigan City
A Michigan city tries to undo the mistakes of the past. It's hard.
