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JUMP IN STATES TRANSFERRING TAP FUNDS TO ROADS & BRIDGES

-> The Safe Routes to School National Partnership released their most recent quarterly "State of the States" report tracking Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding transfers through September 2016 (http://bit.ly/2j0HeYo). It shows a jump in the amount and number of states that transferred TAP funding away from biking, walking, and Safe Routes to School and into roads and bridges. Plus, 12 states transferred funds for the first time. Congress allows state DOTs to transfer up to half of their TAP funds to other transportation priorities. SRTSNP urges advocates to ask their DOT to reverse these transfers. Check out details of the $109 million state DOTs transferred out of TAP between July and September 2016. http://bit.ly/2j0HeaQ

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

[B' Spokes: Maryland is in there at $11 million]
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COURT: BAD STREET DESIGN LIABLE IN NYC CRASH

-> Curbed reports transportation experts agree that poor street design—and the driver behavior it enables—is responsible for many of the U.S.'s astronomically high number of traffic deaths. Now, in a landmark case, the New York State Court of Appeals has found New York City's street design liable for a 2004 crash that left a 12-year old boy riding a bike with multiple skull fractures and reduced mental and physical capacities. The city's leaders had been advised multiple times before the crash that the stretch of street was particularly dangerous. The court ruled, "an unjustifiable delay in implementing a remedial plan constitutes a breach of the municipality's duty to the public." The city was found 40 percent liable, and ordered to pay $19 million of the $20 million settlement to the boy. The city narrowed the street from four lanes to three by repainting the medians. However, from 2007 to 2016, the same street saw a shocking four fatalities, including the death of a 17-year-old cyclist. Late last year—almost 12 years after the 12-year old boy's crash—New York City's Department of Transportation finally announced major design changes to the street. http://bit.ly/2j03bXP

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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VIDEO: SYSTEMATIC SAFETY: THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND VISION ZERO

-> Bicycle Dutch blogger Mark Wagenbuur reports he and Northeastern University professor Peter G. Furth created a succinct and clear 8-minute video to explain the concept of "Systematic Safety" based on Dutch transportation practices and outcomes. At its heart, systematically safety identifies and eliminates the opportunities that create high crash and injury risk. It recognizes human bodies are vulnerable and humans make mistakes. The video describes 5 systemic principles at the core of Vision Zero and provides examples of each in The Netherlands. Systematic Safety: The Principles Behind Vision Zero: http://bit.ly/2j0352l

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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“Hello? 911? I hit someone with my car because they had a bad outfit on.”

By MACKENZIE REID ROSTAD, Vancouver Sun

...
Although the pedestrian was indeed visible, this alone did not protect them.

The pedestrian was injured not by the clothes on their back, but by the automobile that struck them. What could have prevented this? Not better clothing, but greater control on behalf of all parties.
...

http://vancouversun.com/opinion/whos-to-blame-the-reality-of-our-dangerous-roads
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Bicycle- & Pedestrian-Inclusive Infrastructure Projects Create 46% More Jobs Per Dollar Than Road-Only Projects

Via Cleantechnica

Owing to the recent election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States of America, and some of the comments that he’s made to date about infrastructure spending and job creation, the folks over at Bike League recently reposted an old article of theirs discussing the fact that infrastructure projects that incorporate bicycle and pedestrian elements create more jobs than road-only projects.

A lot more.

Around 46% more jobs are created per dollar spent, according to a 2011 study from the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
...



https://cleantechnica.com/2016/12/27/bicycle-pedestrian-inclusive-infrastructure-projects-create-46-jobs-per-dollar-road-project/
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PERFORMANCE-BASED PRACTICAL DESIGN FOR COMPLETE STREETS

-> FHWA recently published its Applying Performance-Based Practical Design Methods to Complete Streets: A Primer on Employing Performance-Based Practical Design and Transportation Systems Management and Operations to Enhance the Design of Complete Streets. (http://bit.ly/2igeaOF) The Primer explains how the application of performance-based practical design principles combined with transportation system management and operations strategies can promote the consideration and application of Complete Street design principles to a wider range of contexts.

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW ADMINISTRATION

-> The Partnership for Active Transportation has put together a set of recommendations related to active transportation for the Trump Administration. (Active Transportation Agenda for the Trump Administration: http://bit.ly/2ifVlvb) The Partnership is a unique collaboration of organizations working across the fields of transportation, public health, economic development, community leadership, equity and livability. To build healthy places for healthy people, the Partnership calls for the creation of safe and practical routes for people to walk or roll to get where they need to go. Their recommendations call for increased investment in active transportation, a focus on active transportation networks, improved transportation planning, and prioritizing safety, among others.

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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The Best and Worst States for Drivers

Via Money Geek

https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/road-safety-study/

[B' Spokes: Interesting that this methodology put Maryland just in the top 10 best for safety states. Could it be we tend to under report issues like speeding and distracted driving? Or could it be that because of sprawl we drive further just to do the same things as everyone else? After all Frederick and Baltimore are bedroom communities to DC. And we do know that different areas have different commute times and different times for being stuck in contested traffic, both of which are strong indicators of more miles driven for some populations than others. I always thought that fatalities per population is a better metric than fatalities per miles driven. Like it's so much safer to drive 20 miles to work than 10 miles to work with the same fatalities per population. I understand that the more miles driven per the same population results in more crashes but that's just it, the same population. When comparing different populations I will assert that we all do the same thing, work, shop and play in the cars we drive and it is the frequency of traffic death that happens while doing our daily lives is what is important. ]
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