Walkable Neighborhoods

A technical report recently released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) gives new guidelines and prompt lists for pedestrian road safety audits. The report discusses at length the basic principles of pedestrian safety, the set up of an audit, and the universal considerations for a successful audit.

From the report: A road safety audit (RSA) [...]

Berkeley is one of my favorite cities in the world, and it was rather difficult for me to pick out my favorite. This photo was the most striking to me – perhaps more so when viewed in full-screen mode. It takes me right back to the moment of wandering the neighborhoods of Berkeley following the Cal-Illinois football game in 2005. My Illini had the lead going into the 4th Quarter, but ended up collapsing and losing 35-20. I was wearing my Illini orange, and the Cal frat guys were razzing us as we left the stadium. These fans pictured were much more polite and I really enjoyed walking through Berkeley despite the tough loss.

You can also view an “honorable mention” photo of Berkeley after the jump. >>Continue Reading This Article>>

It’s not just me that thinks this little traffic light man is cool! There are an enormous amount of Ampelmann products and stores in Berlin — of which I stocked up on The pedestrian crosswalk dude with his top hat distinguishes former east Berlin so you can always tell what part of the city [...]

This is a picture of my favorite street in Freiburg! I’m living in the ‘old town’ and absolutely love how this entire part of the city is a car-free zone. There are narrow, cobblestone streets winding everywhere with a few plazas by the Munster and the Rathaus (city hall). Outdoor seating for restaurants is found [...]

This is just outrageous if you haven’t already seen it – an 82-year-old gets $114 ticket for slow crossing. This has actually inspired an editorial to the Sacramento Bee, coverage around the globe, and some dialogue within Caltrans. Now, the 82-year-old woman, Mayvis Coyle, is becoming famous.
Hopefully Los Angeles will take the public [...]

This is supposedly the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world at Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan. Watch how long the pedestrians get to cross in the full traffic light cycle! I would have a hard time seeing our traffic engineers in most places the U.S. implementing this any time soon. Although, it is being used [...]

Never again say that there is no money for bike/ped projects! A great new resource table was released last month by the FHWA called FHWA and FTA Funds That May Be Used for Bicycle and Pedestrian Activities. It is a simple, yet powerful tool. However, do not forget that often the best way to fund [...]

I attended a two-day training on Thursday and Friday sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration on “How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.” The course was led by Peter Lagerwey of the Seattle DOT and Michael Ronkin of the Oregon DOT. Both of them lead the bicycle and pedestrian programs for their respective departments. [...]

Residents in the Oak Park Community of Sacramento took to the streets last Saturday to address a major challenge – eliminating the stereotype that surrounds streets named after the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For those that are unfamiliar with the stereotype, streets named after King are often associated with poor, dilapidated, and predominately black neighborhoods. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard through Oak Park is in rather poor condition , although it is certainly in better shape than some streets with the same name in other cities. However, Oak Park residents are determined to fix the street because they feel it is the “spine of the communityâ€? and essential to the community’s success, according to resident Brian Fischer. Not only do the residents want to make this street walkable and economically viable, they want it to be a catalyst for improving the image of streets named after King in cities across the US.

Last Saturday’s walking audit was the second in a series of walks led by the non-profit group Walk Sacramento. The first audit was held on November 5, 2005 and focused on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from Broadway to 14th Avenue (view the draft report – PDF). Sautrday’s walking tour focused on MLK Boulevard from 14th Avenue to Fruitridge Road, an ambitious one-mile audit.

There were several areas for improvement that I and others identified during the walking audit. Below I suggest 10 improvements that I feel are critical for revitalization of the street and that could very well be implemented. They are listed in order of priority. >>Continue Reading This Article>>