Dangerous collisions caused by the doors of parked vehicles opening into the path of bicyclists will for the first time be counted as crashes in Illinois, under a change ordered by Gov. Pat Quinn.
Read more on this story by the Chicago Tribune here
Submitted by Jane-Lim Yap
The USDOT has recently published its first guidance document on how to incorporate livability principles in transportation projects. Jointly developed by FHWA and FTA, and in consultation with EPA, the Livability in Transportation Guidebook furthers the USDOT’s livability initiative and builds on the six principles of the DOT-HUD-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The Guidebook is intended for a broad audience, from practitioners to the general public, to learn from case studies of transportation projects that have achieved livable community outcomes.
Mary Raulerson and Jane Lim-Yap of Kittelson & Associates, Inc. were co-authors of the Guidebook. They recently presented the Guidebook at a two-day peer exchange workshop led by FHWA-Florida Division and participated by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and state Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives throughout Florida.
Presentation slides, as well as additional information & resources related to the guidebook are included in the full article.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) continue their joint efforts to advance the state of the practice in preparing metropolitan transportation plans (MTP). A workshop featuring lead researchers for FHWA and FTA, as well as state-of-the-art practitioners took place at the Portland office of Kittelson & Associates, Inc., last week. The presenters discussed newly released reference materials that advance the objectives-driven, performance-based planning approach and discuss real-world experiences.
Presentation slides included.
Submitted by Conor Semler & Jamie Parks
For an industry that cherishes standards and regulations, transportation engineers have long operated without clear guidance and direction in bikeway planning. Thanks to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), this has finally changed.
The number of traffic fatalities continued its welcomed downward trajectory last year, falling 3% to its lowest levels since 1949, and a 25 percent drop from 2005, according to U.S. Department of Transportation estimates released Friday. Experts say changes in car design and campaigns to create better drivers contributed to the decline in traffic deaths.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• Experts cite numerous factors in the drop
• Emphasis on distracted driving has helped, transportation secretary says
• The recession and high gas prices are also a factor
• At the end of 2010, fatalities began to trend back up
Read the entire article at CNN.com
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