Posts in the 'Complete Streets' category
How can cities ensure that cyclists and motorists safely share streets? A new technology-enabled bike helmet may be part of the solution. Photo by Ciclista/Flickr.
Friday Fun: New gear at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show will make urban biking safer
Is biking more on your list of resolutions for 2015? If so, you have probably considered what to do to be safer while biking in the city. Around the world, new policies and innovative technologies are being developed to support ...
Preliminary figures released by the National Health System (SUS) indicate that in 2013, the number of fatalities in Brazilian traffic fell 10% compared to 2012. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brazil.
New data indicates Brazil’s streets are getting safer
From 2009 to 2012, the number of traffic deaths on Brazilian streets has increased gradually each year – peaking in 2012, when 44,800 people lost their lives in traffic crashes. However, preliminary data from the National Health System (SUS) indicates ...
As motorcycle fleets grow in cities worldwide, governments must prioritize improving street design and alternative mobility options to slow the rise in motorcycle crashes. Photo by Frank/Flickr.
Growing motorcycle use creates a global safety challenge
Cities worldwide face the pressing challenge of growing motorcycle fleets and remarkable increases in related traffic fatalities. With streets ill-prepared and motor-bikes whizzing in every direction, the scene might best be described as urban transport anarchy. The problem is especially ...
In Brasília, a new safety law lets women get off buses in places other than traditional bus stops after 10 pm. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brazil.
Brasília, Brazil now lets women choose where to get off the bus at night
When deciding between modes of transport, travelers consider several variables, typically including convenience, cost, time, reliability, and comfort. Another consideration – which is particularly important for women – is perceived safety. No one prefers public transport if it requires walking ...
Car ownership is on the rise in Indian cities, but Mumbai's new Equal Streets movement will help people take back the streets every Sunday while encouraging community interaction and active lifestyles. Photo by 350.org.
Mumbai is ready For “Equal Streets – A Citizens’ Movement”
Every day, Mumbai residents are being squeezed out of spaces to walk or cycle by the sheer pressure of cars, whose numbers are growing rapidly each year. A recent report by the Munich-based global consultancy Roland Berger Strategy Consultants stated that ...
This zebra directing traffic is not a joke. It is one of hundreds of city employees saving lives while making streets in La Paz, Bolivia friendlier for pedestrians. Photo via oneillinstituteblog.org.
Friday Fun: Dancing zebras for safer streets
The streets of La Paz, Bolivia present severe risks for pedestrians. The country’s capital faces rising demand for cars, and has inadequate traffic signs and universally accessible pedestrian infrastructure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the traffic fatality rate ...
Despite daunting challenges, rapidly urbanizing Asian cities have a range of options to improve road safety and save lives. Photo by Ashok/Flickr.
Safer cities for the Asian Century
With the next few decades expected to witness to Asia’s swift rise in economic and political influence, the eyes of the world have focused on Asian cities as the engines of this growth. Last month’s Asian Development Bank Transport Forum ...
How ciclovías contribute to mobility and quality of life in Latin America and in cities worldwide
How ciclovías contribute to mobility and quality of life in Latin America and in cities worldwide
Though rapid urbanization can impair mobility and quality of life, Latin American cities have responded to this challenge with creative, low cost, and high impact solutions. Some of these initiatives have set an example for the rest of the world. ...
Pedestrians face daily risk at Avenida Vieira Souto in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brazil.
Speeding in paradise: Contradictions abound at Rio de Janeiro’s beachfront
Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking. It just takes a walk along the boardwalk of the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, for example, to be completely absorbed by the city’s natural beauty and the thousands of people enjoying these sites. There you ...
The Raahgiri movement is bringing car-free Sundays to cities across India, spreading the principles of sustainable, active transport. Photo by Shamim Khan/Facebook.
In photos: Bhopal becomes India’s fifth city to join the car-free Raahgiri movement
On September 21, 2014, Bhopal became the fifth city in India to implement the weekly open streets movement, Raahgiri Day. Organized by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), Traffic Police, and Bhopal City Link Ltd. (BCLL) in collaboration with EMBARQ India, ...
In photos: Bolivia’s day of the pedestrian and cyclist
In photos: Bolivia’s day of the pedestrian and cyclist
On the first Sunday in September, 2014, cities across Bolivia closed their roads for the fourth annual “Day of the Pedestrian and Cyclist in Defense of Mother Earth.” The event, often referred to simply as the “Day of the Pedestrian,” is an ...
A new way to encourage pedestrians not to cross in the face of oncoming traffic: entertain them. Photo via smart/Youtube.
Friday Fun: A dancing traffic signal creates pedestrian-friendly streets in Lisbon
If your ‘Don’t Walk’ traffic signal was replaced with a dancing stick figure, would you be less likely to impatiently cross the street on a red light? At a busy intersection in Lisbon, smart switched the traditional crosswalk symbol with ...
Urbanization is a driver of both economic growth and global climate change. Between 2011 and 2030, the urban areas of the world are expected to add 1.4 billion people, including 276 million in China and 218 million in India. Photo by Ken Marshall/Flickr.
How cities can save trillions, curb climate change, and improve public health
No strategy for reducing the impacts of global climate change is complete without addressing the challenge of urbanization. Cities contribute about 70% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, despite only accounting for 2% of global land area. Reducing this environmental impact may ...
India’s ambitious new road safety bill, currently open for public comment, is expected to save lives, grow the country’s economy, and create one million new jobs. Photo by IamNotUnique/Flickr.
What India’s new road safety bill means for cities and citizens
Road safety issues have reached a pinnacle in Indian cities. In 2013 alone, 140,000 people died in traffic crashes, and many more were severely injured. These premature deaths and debilitating injuries put an intense burden not just on families and ...
By supporting active transport, planners can limit road crashes and help people to incorporate healthy physical activity into their commute. Photo by Shreyans Bhansali/Flickr.
By the numbers: Sustainable mobility improves health and road safety
Claudia Adriazola, Health and Road Safety Director for EMBARQ – producer of TheCityFix – spoke with David Thorpe of the Sustainable Cities Collective about challenges, trends and best practices in sustainable transport and road safety. Among other topics, Adriazola and ...
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