The PedsCount! 2014 Summit may be over, but the movement doesn't end here!
Nearly 200 Californians gathered in Sacramento over three days at the Summit to share best practices and innovations that will help set a new shared agenda to make walking safer, more accessible and more convenient in the State. Stay tuned as Cal Walks gears up to implement actions devised during the Summit!
US DOT Extends Comment Period to June 30 for Safety Performance Measures & Non-Infrastructure Programs!
Two very critical rules have been proposed by the US Dept. of Transportation that require your input!
Cal Walks strongly urges you to submit comments at www.regulations.gov demanding a specific highway safety performance measure focused solely on the number of fatalities and injuries of people who walk.
Docket Name: National Performance Management Measures; Highway Safety Improvement Program
The second proposed rulemaking may have tremendous impact on the use of highway safety funds for non-infrastructure projects and programs that we know are vital to a successful multi-faceted approach to traffic safety. Cal Walks urges you to submit comments urging that additional barriers not be created for non-infrastructure safety education and enforcement programs. Please see Cal Walks Comment Letter Here.
Racial Bias in Driver Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks This joint study by Portland State University and the University of Arizona found that black pedestrians in downtown Portland had to wait 32% longer than their white counterparts and were passed by double the amount of cars before they could cross the street.
Dangerous by Design 2014 Smart Growth America has released an update to its Dangerous by Design report, cataloguing the ways car-centric design in US cities have imperiled people walking. According to the report's findings, California has the second-highest pedestrian fatality in the nation for older adult pedestrian. Additionally, 4 California metro areas are in the top 10 when ranked by percentage of traffic deaths that were pedestrians.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements for Resurfacing Projects New resources from FHWA, including a short informational video, clarify unambiguously that roadway alteration triggers ADA compliance. Resurfacing projects constitute roadway alterations and trigger ADA requirements, including installation of curb ramps and other modifications.
Modes Less Traveled- Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008-2012 The U.S. Census Bureau has released a report that focuses on bicycling and walking to work, including strategies that can promote non-motorized commuting. The report includes supplemental tables that present the percentage of workers who walked or biked to work in small-, medium-, and large-sized cities.
