Upcoming Walking Events

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A plethora of ways for you to get involved in the pedestrian community this summer and fall:

Transportation Research Board
91st Annual Meeting
January 22-26, 2012
Call for Papers: Modelling pedestrians and motorized traffic

Societal issues present and future (aging, public health, developmentof new transportation modes) require a better knowledge of pedestrian travelsand behaviours as well as their interactions with the environment. To carry outthis work, simulation tools are playing an increasingly important role.In order to improve our knowledge, the pedestrian committee and the traffic flow theory committee are seeking papers for the 2012 TRB Annual Meeting.

Details are available here.

July 7, 2011 - 11:00 AM PDT
Webinar: Engineering Strategies

Examining a variety of engineering strategies, this presentation will provide participants with knowledge of the different types of improvements that have been shown to enhance safety forpedestrians. Specifically, instructors will present information about sidewalks, street crossings, intersection design, signals, transitconnections and road diets. Following the presentation, participants will be able to describe effective engineering strategies and understand how to integrate them into their pedestrian safety action plans. Sponsored by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety andthe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. AICP CM Credits: 1.5

Register here.

July 20, 2011 - 11:00 AM PDT
Webinar: Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation: Signals for Pedestrians who are Blind - Overview of Current Issues and Available Training

As part of ESPA’s Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation (PPSAT) series, Project ACTION and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) will present a webinar Signals for Pedestrians Who are BlindOverview of Current Issues and Available Training. This webinar will provide an overview of accessible pedestrian signals (APS), how they are used by people who are blind, current standards governing their use, and how webinar attendees can host a free APS workshop offered through TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP has initiated a project to develop guidelines and training materials for implementation of APS. A former APS workshop host and a former workshop participant will be featured to share their experiences.

Register  by July 15 here.

July 23, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Mt Soledad/Back Roads of La Jolla
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

August 6, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Coronado Historic Walk
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

August 21, 2011
WalkSanDiego Community Walk

Special Sunday Walk Through Balboa Park Trails
Free -WalkSanDiego members, suggested $5.00 Non-Member donation
RSVP and additional information: Dave Schumacher

WalkSanDiego Fall Walking Tour Weekend in Los Angeles

WalkSanDiego is looking into organizing a fall weekend walking tour to explore some of these hidden gems that showcase the real LA ---including old staircases that were scenes in old Laurel and Hardy/Three Stoogies movies, narrow/twisty streets in historic neighborhoods, unusual bridges, and a walk up to the Griffith Observatory and Hollywood sign!

Walks each day would 8-10 miles in length, but at a relaxed pace with plenty of stops at coffee bars in the morning, enjoyable lunch spots, and ice cream/gelato shops in the afternoon. If you are potentially interested in joining WSD, please contact Dave Schumacher.

September 11-14, 2011
California APA Conference

The California Chapter presents Mission: Possible, a statewide conference that provides networking and educational opportunities for its members. These popular conferences attract planning professionals from throughout California, the United States, and around the world.

Additional information available here.

February 2-4, 2012
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

Sun, Surf, and Smart Growth: The 11th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference will be held in San Diego, CA.

Additional information available here.

This week on foot

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This week, further evidence that people are crazy out there. First, in Florida St. Andrews resident demands pedestrians yield to golfers (or rather golf carts) instead of the other way around. And closer to home, UCLA students criticize parking enforcement changes in Westwood that prevent them from parking in crosswalks. Now, as a former UCLA student myself I understand the parking problem in Westwood--but that's no excuse for blocking pedestrian access. It makes you wonder, Can LA Afford to Neglect Its Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure?

Meanwhile, Bike Lanes, Crosswalks, Pedestrian Signals Coming to Dahab Crash Corner in Culver City and New Signage to Guide Pedestrians in Four Neighborhoods in New York. But elsewhere in that city a Dangerous Queens Intersection Has Pedestrians Worried. Perhaps its fortunate then, that a 
Traffic Safety Boards target distracted drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Of course, that comes a little to late for one pedestrian in Washington, where an Officer’s text message ruled a factor in pedestrian fatality. At least in Tennessee a new "Due Care" law strengthens protections for Tennessee bicyclists, pedestrians

Further abroad, things are also looking positive this week. In Portugal Downtown Vilamoura improvements for greater pedestrian safety, and its a Smooth walk for south Mumbai pedestrians. In Canada Cops tell cyclists to stay off sidewalks, while European Cities Choose Walkability Over Traffic Flow. But watch out if you're in New Zealand, where Bus lanes blamed for pedestrian toll.

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Are Right Turns on Red Dangerous for Pedestrians?

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As part of the ongoing red light camera debate, we've been hearing assertions that right turn on red (RTOR) violations aren't that dangerous, because collisions due to RTOR violations are generally less severe than other types of crashes. But does this hold true for crashes involving pedestrians? And for that matter, is it true at all? (I'm always skeptical of broad statements--including my own--made without proper references.)

I took a stroll around the internet in hopes of answering those questions, and here's what I found:

The push to allow RTORs began in the mid-1970s as part of a national effort, sparked by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, to conserve energy. By the end of the decade, most states had adopted laws allowing the RTOR in most locations. One of the earlier studies examining the safety effects of the new laws was published in late 1980. Adoption of right turn on red: Effects on crashes at signalized intersections showed an increase in crashes when RTORs were allowed, with a 60 percent increase in crashes involving pedestrians (though this large percentage increase could be due, in part, to the relatively low number of right-turn crashes involving pedestrians).

A slightly more recent study (1994) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that while RTOR crashes represent a very small number of collisions at signalized intersections overall (0.4 percent), these crashes frequently involve bicyclists and pedestrians (22 percent of all RTOR crashes). And although the analysis shows that RTOR crashes rarely result in fatalities (less than one percent of all fatal ped/bike crashes involved RTOR), when a cyclist or pedestrian is involved in a RTOR crash they are nearly always injured.

A1996 evaluation of Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Types of the Early 1990s from the Federal Highway Administration had similar results, showing that only about two percent of pedestrian crashes involved right turns on red.

This Week on Foot

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Let's take a break from the red light camera debate and talk about all the good work that's happening this week to improve pedestrian safety. Here in LA, Traffic Light Construction Begins at Deadly Intersection in North Hollywood, while a Downtown “road diet” plan goes forward in Sonoma County. There's a Safety upgrade coming to Woodward, in Florida Pasco willing to give incentives for pedestrian-friendly developments, and in the town of Laurinburg the City Council steps up pedestrian efforts.

Elsewhere in the country, Chicago Experimenting With the “Pedestrian Scramble”, and in Georgia Schools get grant for pedestrian improvements while Community groups gather for traffic safety event in Hawaii. And outside the US Awareness drive helps cut pedestrian deaths in Dubai.

Perhaps all this positive news is because a Livability trend puts walking expert in demand-- and that Walking expert prescribes ‘road diets,’ traffic circles for cities seeking street makeovers. Or it could just be that cities have figured out that Streets Built For Bikes and Pedestrians Also Yield More Jobs.

I guess they missed that lesson in some parts of Florida, where a Bike-Ped Defunding Proposal Sparks Mutiny in Mica’s Home District  London business owners also don't seem to get it, because they're Walking into a new debate this week in that town.

On  a final note, an update from the January 2009 case of a woman who sued Google Maps for directing her to walk on a street without sidewalks. This week we hear from a Utah judge: Car vs pedestrian accident not Google's fault. I guess that means we're still stuck just blaming the drivers, planners, traffic engineers, and public officials who promote vehicle travel over walking.

Further delay on red light camera issue

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In gridlock rivaling that on the 405, the LA City Council returned the red light camera program to the City's budget committee (chaired by RLC supporter Bernard Parks) for additional review after a wacky spell in front of the Council, rife with competing motions, seemingly-contradictory actions, and computer glitches. You can read the full story here in the LA Times, but I offer no promises that the story will clarify anything (except perhaps for the Times' oh-so-subtle implications that the cameras do nothing more than fill the coffers of private firms).

Councilmember Parks will return the program to the Council for debate after additional review, which gives you time to contact your councilmember to urge them to support the program.

LA City Council Continues Red Light Camera Debate

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We have a little more time to wait, but things aren't looking good for the future of red light cameras in LA. As reported in the LA Times,  the Council needs at least eight votes to take any action on the program. Currently, five councilmembers have voted in favor of continuing the cameras--at least long enough to do additional analysis of their effectiveness-- while seven councilmembers would like to end the program immediately. The debate will continue at today's meeting, and again until there are at least eight votes one way or the other.

Best quote of the hearing, from Councilmember Parks in response to the assertion that a $500 red-light ticket could devastate a low-income family, "What is even more devastating is if you lose a life or cripple someone for life because of a traffic accident."

Most discouraging assertion by the LA Times, "A Times investigation in 2008 found that some cities, including Los Angeles, get most of their photo enforcement money from citing slower, rolling-stop right turns, which many experts say cause fewer and less serious accidents." That might hold true for vehicle crashes, but I'd like to see the data for pedestrian crashes...  

This week on foot

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This week has been full of debate on the red light camera issue. As you know, Two L.A. councilmen want to hold off ending red-light camera program--but many Angelenos would like to see the program disappear, like Jay Beeber: Folk Hero Stops L.A.'s Red Light Cameras. Even the Freakonomics blog has weighed in, and it's Seeing Red: Why L.A. Needs to Keep its Traffic Light Cameras. The City Council Delays Vote on Red Light Camera Until Tuesday, so it looks like we'll be hearing more about this issue for at least another couple days.

And why do we want those cameras? Two words: pedestrian safety. We're certainly missing it here in Southern California, where just this week there was a Pedestrian killed in Hollywood, and in SAN MARCOS: Pedestrian hit by vehicle, dies. Further east a Pedestrian killed by Metrolink train in Palmdale (okay, probably a camera couldn't have stopped that one, but it's still a sad statement about the dangers pedestrians face.)

Ironically, just as many Angelenos are arguing over red light cameras, the LA Times reports that Crosswalks are increasingly deadly for the elderly within the region. It just goes to show that Walkability’ key to an age-friendly city.
Of course, elsewhere in the country things are a little brighter. Traffic, pedestrian deaths in Utah trending toward new low in 2011; safety efforts credited. Meanwhile, In Washington County, momentum grows for adding bicyclists, pedestrians into transportation system, while an Oregon Bill clarifies traffic stops for pedestrians and in Chicago Diagonal crossings, fewer right on reds could give pedestrians a leg up.

But that doesn't mean everyone out there is supporting pedestrians. In Canada, a Saskatoon pedestrian hit by car to be ticketed, while in Nogales a Pedestrian circulation study sparks debate over priorities. Seems to me that there isn't much to debate when you consider the Lost Value from Wide Streets...but I guess I'm a little biased.

Vote Delayed on Red Light Cameras

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LA city councilmembers have delayed their vote on the City's red light camera program until next Tuesday to allow more of the council to attend the meeting and vote on the issue. While not a "win," this does indicate that the council is taking the issue seriously --and it gives you more time to contact your councilmember to encourage them to vote in support of the program. In partciular, Paul Koretz, Bill Rosendahl, and my own rep Dennis Zine have indicated their opposition to continuing the program. Tony Cardenas and Bernard C. Parks made the motion to extend the program while additional evaluation is performed.

You can sign a petition in support of the RLC program by clicking here (full disclosure: the petition is sponsored by the Traffic Safety Coaltion. While the coalation itself is a non-profit made up of a diverse group of traffic safety advocates, they do receive their funding from RLC companies.) Alternatively, you can contact your councilmember directly (info on the City's website here)--or even better, do both!

Red Light Cameras

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Perhaps you've been following the debate over the City of Los Angeles' abrupt move to consider eliminating its red light photo enforcement program in the LA Times or Streetsblog. For reasons I'll discuss in a moment, I believe this is dangerous and shortsighted on the part of the City, and I hope you'll join me in speaking out in support of red light cameras ASAP (the City Council will take this issue up in the next few days).

The Traffic Safety Coalition has already put together a petition for you to sign in support of the cameras, conveniently saving me the effort of having to create one myself. Please take a moment to sign here--I promise it won't take more than a minute, and it will help us send the right message to the City Council before it's too late. Do it now, I'll wait.

Finished? Okay, let's talk a little more about the issue of red light cameras in LA. As you're surely aware, red light cameras (aka RLCs) spark some serious, and often misinformed, vitriol. Setting aside the more ludicrous arguments against the cameras (sorry, nothing in the US constitution protects your "right" to run a red light), there are legitimate questions regarding their effectiveness. Here are a few of the latest studies on the subject:

• Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras
• An evaluation of the effectiveness of red- light cameras at signalized intersections
• The effectiveness of red-light cameras: a meta-analysis of the evaluation studies

Each shows that there are indeed reductions in crashes at intersections where RLCs are installed, though the studies acknowledge that in some cases the total reduction is diminished due to increases in particular types of collisions.

This Week on Foot

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This week begins with some outrageous decisions from our legal system. First, there's No jail time for driver who killed pedestrian in a crosswalk because he was paying more attention to his text messages than the road in front of him. Then, the Kenosha DA won't charge driver in 2010 pedestrian death in Wisconsin, because the pedestrian was walking down the wrong side of the road at dusk in dark clothing--which apparently is a greater crime than drinking and getting behind the wheel, as the driver in this case did.

And as if a biased legal system wasn't enough, pedestrians still have to deal with the problem of poor pedestrian design, as pointed out to us this week by Raise the Hammer with thisWalkability Fail Near St. Joseph's Hospital and this Walkability Fail At Aberdeen and Dundurn.

Fortunately there are some lawmakers who'd like to make things easier for pedestrians--or at least to give local jurisdictions more control over speed limits (and thus, more ability to lower them). As Streetsblog reports this week the Newest Attempt to Give Cities Power Over Speed Limits Gains Ground in Sacramento . But at the same time local leaders are considering making things more dangerous for pedestrians by removing red light cameras here in LA. It's a shame that L.A. traffic cameras may get the red light, since they can discourage the kinds of bad driving (e.g. illegal right turns on red) that are particularly dangerous to pedestrians.

And it is dangerous out there for pedestrians. This week there was a Man hit by minivan crossing Oxnard street , while across the country In Lower Hudson Valley, elderly pedestrians more likely to be hit (and also more likely to die from their injuries). Perhaps the Hudson Valley is facing some of the same problems as Corpus Christi, where Downtown Crosswalks Prove Too Speedy For Pedestrians: 13 Seconds Just Isn't Enough
But it's not all bad news out there. In New York,  Yeshiva University proposes new pedestrian plaza (because Public plazas are good for the city). And across the ocean Street Delivery gives the city back to pedestrians for sixth time in Romania. For those of you interested in doing the same thing, this week the Atlantic teaches you How to Turn a Parking Lot Into an Ideal Green Community.

Finally, this week we have news that its not just pedestrians who are benefiting from the pedestrian detection technology that's being installed in new vehicle models: Volvo Using Pedestrian Detection System To Spot Animals, Too.

Improving Pedestrian Design

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A couple resources for planners and engineers hoping to improve roadway design to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists:

First, from the Journal of the American Planning Association, Designing for the Safety of Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Motorists in Urban Environments. In this article, the authors probe at one of the underlying premises that leads to today's emphasis on "vehicle-oriented" roadway design: wide roads are safe roads. Opening with this disturbing quote, "...every effort should be made to use as high a design speed as practical in the interests of safety," from the 2004 AASHTO "green book" (one of the primary guides for American roadway design), the article proceeds to debunk the theory that vehicle crashes are the result of random error and thus roads should be designed to be as forgiving (read: fast) as possible. Obviously such an attitude presents some concerns for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, who are much more likely to be killed or injured on high-speed roads than those where supposedly "dangerous" speed treatments are in place.

While the JAPA article explains why the old theories of roadway design should be thrown out, that doesn't solve the problem of what to do with all the high-speed, pedestrian-unfriendly roadways that have already been built. Enter Caltrans, and its newest complete streets resource, Complete Intersections: a Guide to Reconstructing Intersections and Interchanges for Bicycles and Pedestrians. In it, Caltrans walks through (sorry, the ped puns are hard to avoid) appropriate treatments for each type of intersection, including three- and four-leg intersections, as well as more unique situations like mid block crossings and roundabouts. I particularly appreciate the "Guiding Principles" that Caltrans lays out for intersection design. So often in the past these appear to have been missing from the engineering thought process. Hopefully the new guidance from Caltrans marks a change for the better:

• Observe (watch how the intersection is currently used)
• Pedestrians and bicyclists will be there (people will walk, regardless of whether or not an engineer thinks walking is unsafe at a particular location)
• Maintain and improve (instead of removing pedestrian facilities)
• Tee it up (to 90 degrees, which forces motorists to make slower turns at intersections)
• One decision at a time (don't force people to worry about too many things at once)
• Slow it down
• Shorten crossings
• Improve visibility
• Clarify the right-of-way (because not everyone has memorized the vehicle code like some of us have)
• Keep it direct (pedestrians won't walk out of their way to get somewhere)
• Light at night
• Access for all (including young and old pedestrians, and people with disabilities)

This Week on Foot

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Why Do The Designs Of Our Roads Consistently Ignore The Safety Needs Of Pedestrians? our friends in Hartford ask this week. Well, perhaps it's because of articles like this one that place the blame for crashes on those annoying walkers...since as everyone knows that Distracted Pedestrians Pose Hazard to Themselves, Drivers

Of course, the real question is what to do about the problem. Many believe that better roadway design is a good start, which is why Complete Streets Bill Introduced in Senate this week. But Watch your steps -- Without policy changes, expect more pedestrian fatalities . Hopefully things won't get as bad as they are in India, where there's a 40% rise in pedestrian deaths so far this year. Seems like India could use some New opportunities for New Urbanism? Or perhaps they could learn some lessons from Eugene, Oregon about Staying safe on dangerous streets .

Of course, it turns out that one safety improvement tested in Oregon isn't working so well, as we learn from TriMet: Audible pedestrian warning system is not effective. Maybe Oregon could follow London's lead, where Pedestrian Crossing For Parliament Square Could End Brian Haw Protest.

More pedestrian crossings might help out here in LA as well, where we can at least be happy (?) with news from the CHP: 1 person - not 3 - died on LA County roads it patrols during Memorial Day weekend . Still, I'm not sure this means we've really solved the The foot challenge for Sun Belt cities.
 As they're saying in Idaho, it's Time to take risk to Twin Falls pedestrians seriously...as well as the risks to pedestrians in other states.

Maybe part of the problem is inconsistency. For instance, this week Crime Voice noted that Penalties vary for fatal text-and-drive crashes. Then again, it could be poor urban design, as in Madison where one Pedestrian claims Dollar General failed to provide safe entrance. Of course, there's always this problem: 11-year-old motorist hits vehicles, pedestrian at Kansas mobile home park.

Not really sure what to do about that last one, unless you choose to go the escapist route and lose your worries in some good literature. If so, you might want to check out 'The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris' by John Baxter

Pedestrians of the Future

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This great find from the blog Paleo-Future provides a fascinating look at what people at the turn of the 20th century predicted (or maybe just hoped) would happen over the next 100 years in the fields of energy, education, linguistics, transportation, and many others. It's good for a laugh, although some of the guesses are remarkable prescient. A preview of the pedestrian-related predictions:

There will be no street cars in our large cities
Transit advocates might cringe at this one, but the point was to place noisy, high-speed vehicle traffic above- or below-ground, separating it from the pedestrian-oriented streets at ground-level. It's an idea that's been floated before, notably by Da Vinci in the late 1400s.

Automobiles will be cheaper than horses
True...until you factor in the external costs of cars and private vehicle travel, including the costs of all those pedestrian injuries and deaths.

And my personal favorite:

Everyone will walk ten miles
"A man or a woman unable to walk ten miles at a stretch will be regarded as a weakling." Health advocates, rejoice.

This week on foot

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In honor of our trip to the Pacific Northwest this week, I'll start out with some news from around the region. First,  King County and Renton Partner for Improved Sidewalks, Walkability in West Hill Neighborhood . Elsewhere in the area, Seattle to build at $10M bicycle-pedestrian overpass.

Meanwhile, Transportation for America's Dangerous by Design update is the top story around the country. A sampling of coverage from across the nation: Minority Pedestrians Disproportionately Killed in California Accidents, Report: Detroit Among Most Dangerous for Pedestrians  , and Dangerous Crossings: a low ranking for pedestrian safety gets some attention. And in case you were wondering about pedestrian statistics outside the US, Toronto has one of Canada's highest rate of car collisions with bikes, pedestrians 

But all the attention pedestrians are getting hasn't changed everyone's attitude. For instance, Here's the Chinatown Intersection Where NIMBYs Killed a Pedestrian Overhaul in New York, and in Canada a manager insists Bus-pedestrian collision isn't a sign of a larger problem.


Maybe that's true in Canada, but in Maryland Few places to cross safely has pedestrians taking risks, and across the ocean in Wales, a Pontypridd Family Fears Pedestrian Crossing is a "Death Trap" . In Armenia pedestrians are taking matters into their own hands, with a Let Everyone Use Pedestrian Crossings Flash Mob to be Held in Yerevan, while As America Ages, a Push to Make Streets Safer. 
Even in Tennessee a Green Hills mom wants drivers to stop for crosswalk. One strategy she shouldn't try are the Little. Yellow. Dangerous. "Children at Play Signs" imperil our kids

In Los Angeles, there are other perils:  Thieves leave Elysian Valley bikers and walkers in the dark.
And elsewhere,  Honest John Risks His Life to Verify New Ford Focus Pedestrian Safety System 
Hopefully technologies like these will make things safe at the The world's biggest, busiest pedestrian crossing?

Let Congress know that you support Complete Streets

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The National Complete Streets Coalition is gathering support for H.R. 1780, the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on May 5 by Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH).  It directs state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to write and adopt Complete Streets policies. H.R. 1780 supports the work of over 200 Complete Streets policies at the local, MPO and state level by ensuring a comprehensive approach across jurisdictions for safe streets for all, regardless of age, ability, or chosen mode of travel.

You can use this easy online tool to send a message to your representatives showing your support for HR 1780. It only takes a minute, I promise!

Dangerous by Design 2011

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The transportation world is buzzing about Transportation for America's newly-released update to Dangerous by Design, which ranks the country's large metro areas according to their "pedestrian danger index." Florida tops the list, with Orlando in first place, followed by Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami. Although Riverside comes in at number five, Southern California is happily underrepresented in the top 10...but don't go throwing away your personal pedestrian flags quite yet. Los Angeles is still ranked number 27, followed closely by San Diego.

The Transportation for America explains, the many dangers pedestrians face on our roadways work against efforts to improve American health by encouraging physical activity. As the report so morbidly puts it, "Americans get to pick their poison: less exercise and poor health, or walking on roads where more than 47,000 people have died in the last ten years." You can read the full report on the Transportation for America site here.
And if you're looking for some solutions to all the pedestrian problems the Dangerous by Design brings up, WalkSanDiego offers an antidote: Safe For All: 2011 Street Design Benchmark Study for the San Diego Region.

European Crossing Laws

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A few months ago I posted about my experience walking in Munich, and my amazement at how drivers always stop for pedestrians waiting to cross the street. Turns out there's a strong legal incentive for that behavior in Germany, as well as in many other countries throughout Europe. With thanks to the folks on the America Walks listserve, here is a brief description of how pedestrian crossing laws in several European countries:

Germany
"At pedestrian crossings, vehicles other than railway vehicles must allow pedestrians and wheelchair users who visibly want to cross to use the crossing."(Highway Code 26) 

Holland
"Motor vehicle operators must yield to pedestrians and wheelchair users who are crossing at a zebra crossing or who appear to be about to do so."(Article 49, paragraph 2 of the Traffic Rules (RVV))

France
"Every motorist is obligated to yield, stopping if necessary, to a pedestrian regularly engaged in crossing a street or clearly manifesting the intention to do so ...." (This language was added in 2010, part of decree 2010-1390, Article 17)

This week on foot

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This week we open with an important question: Can This Creepy Graphic Keep Drivers From Killing Pedestrians?

Speaking of creepy, did you know that in India Fergusson College road is 'dread zone' for pedestrians ? Or that Pedestrians risk lives on Nigdi to Dapodi ? Scary stuff, though probably not as scary as this 'Lucky escape' after pedestrian trapped under car

On a less terrifying note, in Ottawa a Series of projects aim to improve pedestrian safety ...but elsewhere in the country Pedestrian power has yet to exert itself at Vancouver City Hall.

Pedestrians are showing their power in other places though, like in Alaska where Fairbanks transportation planners seek input from pedestrians, bicyclists . Or in Maryland where a Maryland woman sentenced for fatally striking pedestrian. 

Meanwhile, officials offer up this important Health Tip: Remind Children and Teens of Pedestrian Safety. And do you know what else is healthy? Eating. So lucky for all of us that in New York there's Food Coming to Chelsea Plaza . While you're there you can expand your mind (as well as your belly) by checking out the City Fix's latest Research Recap, May 16: Walkable Streets, Urban Development Technologies, Car-to-Car Communications.

Enjoy!

Big Parade This Weekend

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Angelenos, it's time again for the Big Parade! For those of you unfamiliar with the event, the Big Parade is a two-day community walk founded by stairway enthusiastic Dan Koeppel. This year's route takes walkers through Los Angeles, beginning downtown at the Angel's Flight Stairway and ending at the Hollywood Sign above Beachwood Canyon. (Day one ends/Day two begins at the Music Box Stairs in Silverlake.)

There will also be a prologue walk on Friday, May 20, led by Bob Inman, covering the stairways between Eagle Rock and downtown.

Get a detailed schedule, with routes, timetables, and info about movie night on the website.
 

Photo courtesy the appropriately-named Alyssa Walker

Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge

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I'd like to encourage all the bikers out there to join Clif Bar's second annual 2 Mile Challenge. Participants join an organization's "team" and log their bike miles, earning points for their team. At the end of the competition in October, the organizations earn grants based on their team members' mileage. Even though the challenge part of this event focuses on biking, two of the beneficiaries (the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership) work on pedestrian issues as well--so if you're a pedaler as well as a ped, pick your favorite advocacy organization and start riding.

Pedestrian Research Rundown

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Hmm, perhaps that wasn't the best choice of titles for a pedestrian blog. At any rate, here's a summary of some of the latest in pedestrian research, for the academically (or not-so-academically) inclined:

Cost-Driven Injury Prevention: Creating an Innovative Plan to Save Lives With Limited Resources
Pedestrian injury costs $20 billion annually. Countermeasures such as blinking crosswalks can be expensive, but expectedly vital to injury prevention efforts. In this study, the researchers aimed to create a new framework of cost-driven surveillance using a detailed analysis of hospital costs and their relationship to location of pedestrian injury. Targeting identified “high cost areas” with effective countermeasures could save lives and be most cost-effective.

The researchers conducted an analysis of billing records of 694 auto versus pedestrian victims treated in San Francisco in 2004. Ninety percent of victims resided in San Francisco, and of 11 city districts, three districts accounted for almost 50% of the total cost.The total cost of injury was $9.8 million, 76 percent of which was publicly funded. Thirty-one percent of victims were admitted, and cost of their care accounted for 76% of the total cost.

Conclusions: These findings provide a roadmap to target costly hot spots for preventive countermeasures. In a climate of limited resources, this kind of roadmap highlights the areas that could most benefit from countermeasures from both an injury prevention and cost-containment standpoint. Cost-driven surveillance is useful in city strategic planning for cost-effective and life-saving pedestrian injury prevention.

Evaluation of Lane Reduction "Road Diet" Measures on Crashes
While potential crash-related benefits are cited by road diet advocates, there has been limited research concerning such benefits. This brief from the the FHWA summarizes a recent reanalysis of studies in Washington, California, and Iowa to compile crash data and gain a better understanding of the impact that road diets can have on crash rates.

America Walks Wants Your Opinion

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America Walks has created a survey to help gather better information about walking habits throughout the country. The survey is open until June 3--but why not do it now? Here are all the details from America Walks:

Help America Walks and its partner organizations learn more about who walks, and why we walk. This survey will take only 5 minutes to complete and results are anonymous.

The National Walking Survey will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers and what prevents others from walking more. The difference between those who are "avid walkers" and the more "reluctant walkers" is not well studied. How effective is encouragement from relatives, health professionals, employers, others? What can we learn about the messages that actually get someone afoot and those that don't? When someone has a choice of walking or not, is a dog or human companion the motivator to take the trip on foot? How crucial are factors like destinations within walking distance, pleasant and safe surroundings? Or is the difference between those who walk more and less a matter of available time or other demographics? The National Walking Survey is a start in answering these crucial questions. Take the survey; share the National Walking Survey!

When the data is analyzed, America Walks will publish what we've learned so all walking advocates can be more targeted in their work to promote walking in America.

This Week on Foot

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It's been quite the positive week here in the world of walking, with lots of new projects and plans to address some of our most challenging pedestrian problems. Starting here in the Southern California region, a New Livable Streets Group Rises in Alhambra, in ENCINITAS: Pedestrian rail tunnel plans OK'd and nearby a New fence beautifies Chollas Creek, enhances walkability.

Meanwhile in Santa Monica they're trying to address pedestrian Safety at farmers market: Heavy-duty nets to protect pedestrians at Santa Monica Farmers Market, and Construction to Begin on Pedestrian-Friendly Alley in Hollywood.

Further north, a Bay Area Plan Would Turn Fisherman's Wharf Into a Pedestrian's Paradise, and in San Jose the New Bethel Island Bridge Wider, More Pedestrian Friendly, while in Sacramento Congresswoman Matsui Introduces Safe and Complete Streets Legislation .

Elsewhere in the country, South Portland wants pedestrian freeway crossing in urban renewal plan (good timing, since this week the Oregon Senate OKs pedestrian safety bill but first debates the Beatles and pork chops). And Oregon isn't the only place thinking about pedestrian design. AARP Vermont commits $30,000 to fund community design work, and in the DC area Operation Safe Streets cracks down on county drivers. (And a good thing they are, because we're reminded this week of the constant danger pedestrians face by the sad story of a 6-year-old girl killed in South L.A. hit-and-run; driver sought ). Overall, it's clear that US Mayors Want More Bicycle and Pedestrian Investments, as does everyone else in the country.

And it's not just the US that's contemplating ped problems this week. In Australia a Safety message goes out to pedestrians, while in the UK a New system blamed as two pedestrians hit within days--making it all the more important that The Libertarian School of Street Design Takes London. Finally, as we learn from this piece in the India Journal: Jaywalking, It's a Menace...Seriously. Hmm. Guess they didn't get the memo yet in India that streets are for people, not just cars...

Jane's Walk This Weekend

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Jane's Walk is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Unfortunately, Los Angeles is not hosting a walk this year--but if you live in one of these apparently-much-more-awesome cities, you too can invoke the spirit of Jane Jacob while getting to know your city better on foot.

Click on the name of the city for more info:

Anchorage, AK
Austin, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Brunswick, ME
Boston, MA
Chattanooga, TN
Heber Valley, UT
Houston, TX
Jackson, MS
Kansas City, MO
Mesa, AZ
New York City, NY
New Orleans, LA
Oakland, CAOrange, NJPhiladelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Sacramento, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
San Francisco, CA
Santa Fe, NM
Scranton, PA
Tempe, AZ
Waterbury, CT

Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS)

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Data geeks can get their fix from this cool new tool from our friends at that "other" transportation school up north, UC Berkeley. Researchers at the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) have developed TIMS to provide data and mapping analysis tools and information for traffic safety related research, policy and planning.

You can find and map info on crash rates, causes, victims, and more using data complied from state and federal crash databases. Much of the data is California-centric, but you can get some info on crashes elsewhere in the US.

Users must register for a free account to access the system, available online here.

Cool Ped Stuff #14: Green (Tree) Crossings

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China might have the fastest-growing market for cars, but that also makes it the fastest-growing market for pedestrian advocacy. Enter this awesome crosswalk design/advocacy campaign:

This week on foot

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It has been such a busy week for pedestrians, I hardly know where to begin. Let's start with bridges: In New York, the Mother Of All Pedestrian Bridges To Connect Brooklyn Parks, while down south Old pedestrian bridge to be removed in Louisiana and up north Foxborough Selectmen Support Pedestrian Bridge.

Closer to home (for me, anyway) Glendale clears path for pedalers and pedestrians, while in Northern California folks consider  Oakland's pedestrian dangers. As we know, one of those dangers is distracted driving, which is why it's encouraging to hear that Motorists who text or talk on hand-held phones face stiffer penalties under Senate measure.

And the California Senate isn't the only group thinking about pedestrian safety this week. Under Pressure, AASHTO Withdraws Objection to Stronger Bike-Ped Rules , while in Baltimore Citizen fights Fells Point pedestrian changes.

PBIC Recognizes Walk Friendly Communities

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The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has announced the its 2011 Walk Friendly Communities, and I'm pleased to see that my hometown of Seattle tops the list as the only city with a "Platinum" designation. The new program, sponsored by the PBIC, the Federal Highway Administration, and FedEx, recognizes communities that stand out in their commitment to pedestrian safety, access, and comfort. According to program manager Carl Sundstron, "The WFC designation recognizes communities that help set the bar in fostering and accommodating walking." Here's the full list of designees:

Platinum Level

• Seattle, Washington

Gold Level

• Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Arlington, Virginia
• Hoboken, New Jersey
• Santa Barbara, California

Silver Level

• Charlottesville, Virginia
• Decatur, Georgia

Bronze

• Austin, Texas
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Flagstaff, Arizona
• Wilsonville, Oregon

Don't see your community on the list? Online applications for next year's program are available May 1.

A new twist on the marked crosswalk debate

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You run across some odd stuff when you're wandering around the internet in search of pedestrian info. Take this Special Report from Project Consumer Justice, a site that describes it's purpose as to "honestly report on consumer, legal and political issues important to the American civil justice system."

The article details a $12 million settlement in a San Mateo lawsuit over a ped-vehicle crash that left a 17-year-old woman in a permanent vegetative state. The victim was struck while crossing at a marked crosswalk on a six-lane roadway. During the trial, lawyers for the victim cited Caltrans "dirty little secret" about "when marked crosswalks can be more dangerous for pedestrians." As evidence, they pointed to the infamous 1972 Herms Crosswalk Study, explaining how it proved that marked crosswalks gave pedestrians a "false sense of security."

One more walking event

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On May 13, the American Planning Association's California Planning Foundation will be offering two day-long Sustainability Walking Tours, one in Sacramento and one in Santa Monica.

Downtown Sacrament Shining Places Tour

• Railyards mixed use project
• Elliott Building
• 1801 mixed use project
• Downtown Ally Activation project

Downtown Santa Monica Sustainability Tour

• SMURFF (urban runoff facility)
• 502 Colorado Court (solar senior housing)
• Main Library (LEED certified)
• Award-winning Santa Monica General Plan
• Public Safety Building & Civic Auditorium
• Global Green & bioswale tour

Cost:
$135 Non APA member
$100 APAP members
$35 Planning students

Registration and additional information available online here.

Upcoming Walking Events

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A few activites to keep you busy over the next month:

The Road to Health: Improving Community Wellbeing Through Transportation
From safe routes to school and accessible public transit, to impacting your regional transportation plan, our convening will provide insight into creating more sustainable, healthy, and active communities. Featuring presentations from TransForm and local advocates, the convening will include:

• An overview of the impact of transportation on community health
• Presentations on local advocacyefforts to ensure cleaner air, safer streets, and accessible services
• Opportunities to advocate on local, statewide, and federal policy efforts to influence transportation policy and planning

Los Angeles – April 27, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
The California Endowment
1000 North Alameda Street
     
San Diego – May 4, 2011
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Sherman Heights Community Center
2258 Island Avenue

Registration is $25 for General Public, $10 for CPEHN Network Members. Register online here.

May 2 - Online Pedestrian Survey
Join California WALKS and America Walks in collecting valuable data on who walks and why we walk!  America Walks is sponsoring an online survey among its members and affiliated organizations to understand what characterizes avid walkers and what distinguishes them from those less inclined to walk. The survey is not lengthy, is easy to fill out, and is designed to provide information usable in developing actionable steps to promote walking in the United States.
 
Check out the survey here.

This week on foot

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This week the country is pondering sidewalks. First, the Senate Introduces a Narrower Bill for Wider Sidewalks (or at least, more funding for them). Then, there's some Some Orlando Neighborhoods Getting Sidewalks. But all this talk of sidewalks has some people wondering, Sidewalks are a neighborhood status symbol, but do they help the environment?

Meanwhile, it isn't sidewalks, but intersections in Honolulu that lead to Pedestrian Safety Concerns Rise After Newspaper Vendor Injured. And across the Pacific, it's another location, the Rincon Hill Intersection Nightmare For Pedestrians  that's leading to bad dreams in San Francisco.
Fortunately, there's plenty of work happening to address these types of pedestrian problems. The City of Spartanburg Introduces Reflect for Safety Monday , and in Nebraska a City Works to Improve Pedestrian Stadium Traffic . But not every message promoting pedestrian safety is being greeted with enthusiasm. In New York, some complain that “Don’t Be a Jerk” — The Wrong Message at the Wrong Time , and that the City's focus on bicycling "jerks" is unwarranted. Other people aren't waiting for officials to address pedestrian wrongs, and instead moving forward quickly to see that pedestrians receive justices, as in the Wrongful-death suit filed in PCH hit-and-run .

Other people are turning to art, not lawsuits, in an effort to improve walkability, as in one neighborhood where Profanity, slurs in pedestrian tunnel lead to art contest . Others ponder walkability from different perspectives, such as this blog post that considers A dog's eye view of what makes a walkable neighborhood , or this one evaluating Outdoor Cafes .

Yet, with all the positive attention being paid to walkable neighborhoods, one Streetsblog post wonders, Is the Realtors’ Survey Really a Ringing Endorsement of Smart Growth? Maybe not, but it does continue to show that people want to be able to walk in their communities.

Your Very Own Crosswalk: Final Steps

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First of all, many thanks to Grist and Planetizen for promoting this series, I hope it's helpful to my fellow crosswalk lovers out there.

In the previous step, I talked about gathering support from other groups and individuals who could help champion your cause. To finish up, let's move on to:

Step 8: How do I apply pressure?
Now that you've gathered the details you need to make your case, rallied your supporters, and identified the people you need to influence, you can begin the real work of advocacy. Successful advocacy strategies could make up an entire series in itself, so I'll only offer a few thoughts here.

First, publicize your case. This could mean anything from starting a facebook page, to contacting your local paper (Tip: you don't have to focus just on the big news outlets. Many communities have their own small, but influential, papers), to holding a rally or walk-in at your crosswalk location. The more outlets you use to raise awareness the better.

Second, use your contacts. Follow up regularly with the contacts you've met at the staff and elected level within your jurisdiction. By this I do not mean calling and/or emailing every hour, or even every day. You're looking for the happy medium between calling often enough that your contacts realize you're serious, and calling so much that they want to set fire to their phone whenever they hear your voice on the other end. This can be a fine line. However,  unless there's immediate urgency I suggest that a follow up call or email every few weeks to a month is sufficient.

Third, use your supporters. It's important to demonstrate to decision-makers that you are not the only one who cares about this crosswalk. Some options include asking your fellow advocates to sign a petition, having them contact their elected official to indicate their support (the simplest thing is for you to draft an email yourself, and provide it to others to copy and send out themselves), or asking them to testify at a public meetings.

That last one is particularly important, because one of the most critical things you can do as a crosswalk advocate is to attend meetings and testify. I will not sugarcoat this: public meetings are long, boring, and often occur at inconvenient times. However, they're the way things get done here in our fair country, and if you're serious about your crosswalk you're going to need to attend them.

You can start with meetings of your local community planning group (if you have one), but you'll also want to show up at meetings of your city council or county supervisors. Even if your crosswalk is not on the agenda, you can use the period at the start of the meeting (when the public is allowed a short time to provide testimony on off-agenda items) to promote your cause. I also suggest doing this for crosswalks on state roadways, as your local elected officials can help you pressure folks at the state level.

I don't have to remind you of my earlier warning to avoid costumes for these hearings, right? You might think that dressing in head-to-toe zebra print will really hammer home the advantages of installing a zebra crossing, but I promise you that it does not help your cause to be known as "Zebra Man" in your city's sacred halls. Ditto on any overly-aggressive speeches (yelling, name-calling, finger-pointing). Also, be aware of any time limits that are placed on public testimony, and draft your speech accordingly.

Finally, be patient. The public process is many things, but "fast" is not one of them. Continue to use your contacts, rally your supporters, and apply pressure to the appropriate decision-makers. Also, be aware that your jurisdiction may not have the ability to fund any new crosswalk projects in the current fiscal year. Because of this, even with the full support of staff and elected officials, you might still have to wait many months before action can be taken. (Towards that end, you may want to time your advocacy to the period when budget decisions are being made. Often this is in the early part of the year, a few months before the start of the new fiscal year in July.)

Step 9: Enjoy your crosswalk
If all goes well, your efforts will pay off and you'll soon be admiring the sparkle of bright white lines against asphalt. Congratulations!

And if not? The reality is, even the best advocacy doesn't guarantee results--particularly not in today's fiscally-crunched world. But even if your work doesn't result in the crosswalk of your dreams, don't let it go to waste. Continue to build relationships with the staff and elected officials you've met. Maintain contact with your supporters. You've managed to establish yourself as a smart leader who's serious about improving pedestrian conditions in your community, and you shouldn't waste that political capital. Instead, use it to continue to work towards enhancing your neighborhood's walkability--because there's always another crosswalk out there that could use some stripes.

This Week on Foot

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This week as brought us our usual share of pedestrian challenges here in the Southland. A Metro bus hits, kills pedestrian in Culver City, and further south a Pedestrian hit by car in San Marcos--but lest you complain, as do some of my readers, about the morbidity of this feature (I believe the term was "pedestrian death blog"), let me point out that I am sparing you the details of 30 other stories of pedestrian death and injury that I cam across while writing this week's post.

Actually, that's not really so cheerful either. Okay, how about the story of how a Warwick Auto Body employee saves injured pedestrian? Or how the Brownsboro Road Diet & Sidewalk Receive Overwhelming Public Support in Kentucky, and in ENCINITAS: Council seeks to improve pedestrian access through downtown, and in Oregon Beacons Installed To Help Pedestrians On The Bend Parkway, and how according to AASHTO: New Rule Makes it Too Hard to Ignore Cyclists and Pedestrians ? You see, I find lots of positive stories to share with you.

Of course, on the less positive side there's the recommendation of one Architect: Open Salem pedestrian mall to cars, parking, and more stories of how police are cracking down on pedestrians both near (Henderson Police Targeting Pedestrian Safety ) and far (DBKL issues summonses to jaywalkers ).

And then there's the in-between news. Like learning about the Congestion on the Mount Vernon Trail in Virgina--are too many pedestrians a good or bad thing?  And while we're asking questions, Is Auckland bad for your kids? Will London’s New Wayfinding System Get More People Walking? Well, there's one thing we can be sure of: Times Square plaza improves air quality.


Now if only San Franciscans could get the same kind of pedestrian support that New Yorkers get. After all, the City's Pedestrian crash toll dwarfs preventative safety costs. Maybe they should get in touch with Texans, where the word from Local Lawmakers: Don’t Mess With Texas Cyclists and Pedestrians


Finally, if you're in the San Diego area don't forget that San Ysidro's new pedestrian bridge opens Friday--and while you're walking around down there, you might want to check out A Surprisingly Walkable Neighborhood

Your Very Own Crosswalk: Followers of your Footsteps

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Step 7: Who else can help me?
As I mentioned yesterday, elected officials respond well to angry mobs (well fine, I didn't exactly say it that way), as do the other folks you need to help you with your crosswalk quest, like planners and engineers. In other words, now is the time to seek out other members of your community who are just as excited about getting a crosswalk installed as you are. You could really start this step at any time, but I've put it here because by this point in the process you should have a pretty good idea of what you need to do to make your crosswalk a reality, and you can share those specific needs with your new supporters.

And who are these supporters? Well, you have a lot of possibilities. Sadly, the impetus to install a crosswalk is often a serious crash, so you may already have the injured person (or their friends and family) rallying behind you. But where else can you look for people to champion your cause? Here are some ideas:

• Your local pedestrian advocacy group - For a list of groups in the US and elsewhere, check out the Pedestrian Advocacy Groups page
• Your city's pedestrian coordinator - Not every jurisdiction has one of these, but more and more are devoting a full-time staff person to pedestrian and bike issues
• Regional governments or Metropolitan Planning Organizations - Even if your city doesn't have a ped/bike coordinator, your regional government may have someone devoted to non-motorized transportation policy
• Neighborhood planning committees - Many communities, especially in larger jurisdictions, have town councils, community planning groups, or similar organizations who deal with neighborhood-level planning issues. Your elected official or city staff person can help direct you to these groups, if they exist
• Chambers of commerce and business improvement districts - Explain to these groups how walkability promotes economic development in the community
• Your local Safe Routes to School coordinator - The Safe Routes to School National Partnership can point you towards a coordinator in your region
• Your neighborhood school or PTA - Staff and parents are often eager to support pedestrian-improvement projects, particularly when they're along designated school walking routes
• The health advocacy community - You know that walking is good for your health--and so do people who work in the health policy field. For example, here in California you can find groups of promotoras within the Latino community, community leaders who work as lay health advisors to promote walking and pedestrian improvements (among many other issues) 
• Non-profit organizations - Your city may have an organization dedicated to promoting complete streets, alternative transportation modes, or "green" living. They've probably logged a lot of advocacy hours themselves, and may be able to provide you with contacts or advice that can help your cause
• Your neighbors - This group should really be first on the list, as you're unlikely to get far if everyone else who lives in your neighborhood hates the idea of a new crosswalk. Spend a little time chatting with the boy or girl next door--even if you can't gain their support, you'll hopefully prevent local backlash

I'm sure there are others that could be added to this list, but at this time of night my brain has about run its course. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section.

Your Very Own Crosswalk: Stepping Through the Politics

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As promised, a continuation of last week's guide to gaining a marked crossing in your neighborhood.

Step 6: How do I cut the red tape?
Remember how I said you had other options if you weren't getting anywhere with the local bureaucrats? Here's where the politics come in.

An important thing to understand is that while theoretically government employees are there to serve members of the public like you, it's the politicians who are their real bosses.Often a local traffic engineer will politely listen to your crosswalk request...and then just as politely blow you off for the next three months (or years). However, if that same request comes from a councilmember's office, it's almost guaranteed to get some immediate attention.

The trick here is for you to gain the ear of the politician, which is easier to do than you might think. Elected officials keep their jobs by demonstrating that they're responsive to their constituents, so it behooves them to pay attention to what you have to say. (Just remember my tips from Step 1 on being polite--and sane. The same rules apply here.)

This Week on Foot

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It's been a busy week here in the walking world, and not such a happy one here in the LA region. We learned of a   $50,000 reward offered in hit-and-run death of 92-year-old man, a Candlelight vigil planned for Ventura hit-and-run victim, and, on a bittersweet note, a Pedestrian killed in 1986 identified through evidence database .
 
But there's better news elsewhere in the country. In Texas Students to get more pedestrian refuge, while in Arizona there's a Plan in works to deal with boom in pedestrians. Hungry pedestrians can rejoice a the thought of the Food to Land in Times Square Pedestrian Plaza  , while in Missouri they're celebrating because Missouri bicycle & pedestrian injuries down 20%-30%.

And it doesn't end there. One Del. school wants to create street for pedestrians, while on the opposite end of the age spectrum Sustainable Streets Teaches Seniors Pedestrian Safety. Police officers are getting in on the ped-friendliness as well. Around here CHP, local law enforcement crack down on distracted driving , while in Dunellen cops go undercover to catch drivers failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

But that's not all. The National Association of Realtors released a Study: Home buyers want walkable communities (why? Because Walkability works!). Even gas guzzling Texas recognizes the importance of walkability, as TxDOT: Road Projects Need To Be Bike and Pedestrian-Friendly...which makes you wonder why a Bike and Pedestrian Trail Along SMART Line Could be Cut by a Third, or why Denver to eliminate diagonal crossings at intersections when it was their city engineer who came up with the idea for these pedestrian scrambles or "Barnes Dance" intersections in the first place. And while we're asking questions, How walk friendly were Wilmington, Dover and Newark 2 years ago?

Maybe they can't explain that one, but the folks at the Atlantic can teach us A Green Lesson From the World's Most Romantic Cities. Do you think it involves a love affair conducted entirely on a sidewalk? It could happen...in a walkable city, that is.