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Illuminated Crosswalk Panels

Light up the whole crosswalk when pedestrians cross. Drivers can help but see the pedestrians. Sensol Systems of Seattle has some neat solutions.

Traffic safety programs just don't seem to be protecting the public, as pedestrian fatalities hit a 41 year high. If you consider the trends in these fatalities, you might think cities are in over the heads. Here are a few reasons why these programs don't work; that is, don't reduce fatalities:

Other city solutions - cities often implement solutions that other cities use. The problem is that they may not have the same problems.
Universal solution - cities often seek one solution to fix all of its problems.
Rely on state DOTs - About 70% of crashes in a city fall under state purview, who uses contractors that are in very short supply.

Major Safety Projects can't find contractors to do the work | Expect Continuing Trends

Harvard says there are racial disparities in traffic fatalities. But is that due more to the fact that they live in underserved communities?

Smart Crossings

STEPVIAL has an intelligent road marking system that illuminates with pedestrians are near to warn drivers people are present.

The Hill - Read more

Most cities expect safety projects to take a long time because they are often big redesign projects that take years to complete, which does little for safety in the short term. Now, cities have a bigger problem. There are no contractors to do the work (source: NPR). But it's not just a labor problem, it's also a material shortage problem too, which is expected to continue for years (read more). Cities can't implement their current strategies. We need to fix that. Waiting isn't a solution.

Can smart street technologies be used in the short term to help reduce the rise in pedestrian fatalities?

In 2021, Kansas City (MO) removed "jaywalking" from its criminal code to address racially biased police stops. In 2018, KC incurred record pedestrian fatalities. Has the city put its residents at risk?

Intelligent Speed Bumps

Actibump has speed bumps that measure speed and adjusts the bump to remind fast drivers to slow down. The correct speed results in a smooth passing. Learn more here.

American Safety Programs Aren't Working

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In 2019, the Academy of Sports Medicine noted that safety concerns from traffic crashes may be impacting the American Fitness Index, which incorporates many measurements such as the percent of residents bicycling or walking to work, the Walk Score and Bike Score for cities and the percent of residents using public transportation. Fear will force a decline in active transportation, which may greatly impact the health of residents. It's a problem that is getting worse.