Smart Crossings
STEPVIAL has an intelligent road marking system that illuminates with pedestrians are near to warn drivers people are present.
Americans want technology now!
How many Americans have to die before we do something about road safety?
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?
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?
How Community Health Declines
TECHNOLOGIES
Major Safety Projects: A solution we can't implement
Decriminalize Jaywalking: Did it save pedestrians?
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.
Crosswalk Art
Traffic calming is underway in Europe by using art in crosswalks and intersections. See how this might help slow cars down. Read here.
Consumer Reports found that two-thirds of Americans want to see cities use technology to protect pedestrians. While Vision Zero plans to redesign the roadways for multi-modal transportation, these projects take too long and cost too much. A ten year roadway project does nothing to improve pedestrian safety in the short term. In fact, the disruption of traffic during construction may actually make things worse. While cars have the ability to detect pedestrians, Americans are not eager for cities to engage in the interaction of street technologies with car technologies. Despite this worry, Americans are ready for technology to begin communicating with drivers that pedestrians are present. You can read more about this here.
Plan vs Performance - what city safety plans should be focusing on.
Vision Zero - Why it isn't working in the US.
Major Problems - Why cities won't accept help?
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.
COMING SOON
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.
Pedestrian Safety Concerns Hinder Active Transportation
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?
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