Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about pedestrian safety

Trib Bikelash Writer is Confused About the Real Threat to Pedestrian Safety

By John Greenfield | Oct 8, 2014 | 17 Comments

The Tribune is a reliable source of bike backlash articles, and Monday’s op-ed by Ron Grossman was a particularly entertaining example, from a particularly confused reporter. The piece, titled “Maybe Chicago should ban bikes for a day,” argues that lawbreaking cyclists are the leading threat to pedestrians’ safe enjoyment of the city’s vibrant streets. It’s […]

Study: People in Low-Income Areas More Likely to Be Killed While Walking

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 5, 2014 | No Comments

Who is most at risk of being hit by a car? People on foot make up a growing proportion of people killed in traffic — 15 percent in 2012, up from 11 percent in 2007. Children, seniors, and people of color account for a disproportionate share of the victims. So do people living in low-income […]

Talking Headways Podcast: Les Rues Are Made for Walking

By Tanya Snyder | May 28, 2014 | No Comments

Last week, Smart Growth America brought us the bad news: More than 47,000 people died while walking between 2003 and 2012. Most victims are killed on high-speed arterial roads. A disproportionate number are elderly or racial minorities. Paris showed us a powerful solution: The city is lowering its default speed limit to 30 kilometers per […]

A Crosswalk Too Far: Vote for the Least Crossable Street in America

By Angie Schmitt | May 19, 2014 | No Comments

In the Boston suburb of Burlington, Massachusetts, the AMC movie theater is right across the street from the Burlington Mall. But if you’re planning to travel between these two destinations on foot, you’re in for quite a hike. The closest crosswalk is more than half a mile down the Middlesex Turnpike. That means crossing the […]

Eyes on the Street: Gravel Sidewalk at Plaza Site Forces People Into Street

By Steven Vance | Jan 2, 2014 | No Comments

This week’s snow storm — which is still coming down — has made a lot of sidewalks tough to navigate, but here’s one case that’s worse than most. It’s just one block in Logan Square, but this short stretch of Woodard Street is worth talking about as an example how Chicago needs to pay better […]

Distracted Driving Is Claiming the Lives of More Pedestrians and Cyclists

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 23, 2013 | No Comments

Total traffic deaths have declined nationwide in recent years, but the same has not held true for the most vulnerable people on the streets: cyclists and pedestrians. In 2011, 130 more pedestrians were killed in traffic than the year before, a 3 percent increase, while 54 more people lost their lives while biking, an increase […]

Survey: Americans Know They Should Walk, But Lack Time and Infrastructure

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 9, 2013 | No Comments

Americans are slouches when it comes to walking. According to a recent survey of 1,224 adults commissioned by Kaiser Permanente, a third of Americans reported they do not walk for more than a 10-minute period during the course of a typical week. Of the remaining two-thirds, another 31 percent said they get less than the […]

CLOCC Work: Fighting Childhood Obesity With Safer Streets

By John Greenfield | May 6, 2013 | 1 Comment

[This article also ran in Checkerboard City, John Greenfield’s weekly column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.] “The built environment plays a huge role when it comes to people being able to be physically active,” says Grant Vitale, community programs manager for the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC). […]