Case Studies

Portland: Training Instead of Fines

Trauma Nurses Talk Tough, a program of the Portland-based Legacy Health System, collaborated with the City of Portland, Multnomah County courts, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and Willamette Pedestrian Coalition to offer eligible first-time traffic offenders—drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists—the option of taking a Share the Road safety class instead … Continue reading Portland: Training Instead of Fines →

Oregon: Strengthen Crossing Ordinances

Ray Thomas, an Oregon bicycle and pedestrian lawyer, and the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition had been trying for years to induce drivers to yield more consistently to pedestrians in crosswalks. Oregon’s existing statute specified that a driver shall stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian when he or she is crossing the road in a crosswalk. … Continue reading Oregon: Strengthen Crossing Ordinances →

Oregon: Vulnerable Users Statute

In 2007, the Oregon Legislature passed the Vulnerable Roadway User statute (ORS 811.135). The act created a higher penalty for careless driving if it contributed to serious physical injury or death to a “vulnerable user of a public way.” If that occurred, the act mandated either community service and driver-improvement education, or a substantial fine … Continue reading Oregon: Vulnerable Users Statute →

New York: Pedestrian Managers

The streets leading up to the Holland Tunnel in Manhattan experience daily traffic congestion: Cars routinely block intersections and crosswalks, forcing pedestrians to weave in between trucks and vans to cross the road. These traffic problems are especially acute along the six lanes of Varick Street, where blocked intersections prevent cross-street traffic from getting through, … Continue reading New York: Pedestrian Managers →

Oregon: Strengthen Crossing Ordinances

Ray Thomas, an Oregon bicycle and pedestrian lawyer, and the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition had been trying for years to induce drivers to yield more consistently to pedestrians in crosswalks. Oregon’s existing statute specified that a driver shall stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian when he or she is crossing the road in a crosswalk. … Continue reading Oregon: Strengthen Crossing Ordinances →

Wisconsin: Train Officers

In 2007, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation updated its bicycle-training program for law-enforcement officers, which had been created in 1995 through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant, to include pedestrian statutes and crash-prevention techniques. The course is designed to give law- enforcement officers the basic knowledge, tools, and resources to create safe walking … Continue reading Wisconsin: Train Officers →

Phoenix: Walk Score

The Phoenix Planning Department used Walk Score data to analyze the performance of existing light rail stations and to look at how proposed stations might perform if they were within a walking network connecting passengers to desired amenities. Walk Score data helped planners clarify which corridors and station locations performed best from a land use … Continue reading Phoenix: Walk Score →

Washington, DC: Walking Meetings

Dr. Ted Eytan, a Permanente Federation director at Kaiser Permanente, has been a big proponent of walking meetings for years. Dr. Eytan has not only integrated them into his office operations, but has also published instructions on his blog, tedeytan.com, on how others can do the same. The inspiration came from an office walking challenge where employees were … Continue reading Washington, DC: Walking Meetings →

New York: Safe Routes for Seniors

As more people live longer and age in place, creating communities that are easy, enjoyable, and safe for older adults to walk through is crucial for both transportation and public-health considerations. So, in 2003, Transportation Alternatives (TA), a New York City–based transportation advocacy organization, created a Safe Routes to Seniors program. With funding from the … Continue reading New York: Safe Routes for Seniors →

New York: Safe Routes to Transit

Created through New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2007 PlaNYC strategic plan, the Safe Routes to Transit program within the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) aims to improve pedestrian conditions in and around transit stops throughout the city. The Safe Routes to Transit program addresses three main transit conditions: unsafe bus stops under … Continue reading New York: Safe Routes to Transit →