Posts in the 'Road Safety' category
As vehicle ownership grows in cities worldwide, it becomes increasingly important for cities to implement well-designed bus systems that improve road safety for all users. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ.
Want healthy, thriving cities? Tackle traffic safety first
Every year, more than 1.2 million people die in traffic crashes worldwide, equivalent to nearly five Boeing 747 plane crashes every day. As developing economies grow and private car ownership becomes more mainstream, the number of associated crashes and fatalities ...
Bus priority systems have a track record of social and environmental benefits for cities. Now, research shows that bus priority systems – when accompanied with key road design features – can save lives in cities. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ.
How cities can save lives: Build safer bus systems
Traffic safety has become an urgent issue for cities around the globe, with traffic deaths claiming over 1.2 million lives per year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Without proper action, this unacceptable trend is expected to make road ...
A type of fine particulate matter, black carbon causes millions of premature deaths in cities worldwide and is considered the second most important human emission contributing to climate change. Photo by Eduardo M.C./Flickr.
Cities fighting black carbon to achieve public health and climate benefits
Black carbon – a short-lived climate pollutant emitted into the air by incomplete combustion of fuels – is a both major contributor to climate change and a concern for public health in cities. At the global scale, black carbon has ...
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 ...
As national leaders prepare plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions at COP20, they can look to sustainable transport for win-win solutions that curb emissions while generating jobs, boosting economic growth, and improving public health. Photo by Associacao Ciclocidade/Flickr.
Low-carbon urban transport boosts social and economic development
This week in Lima, Peru, national-level decision makers, mayors, business leaders, international finance institutions, and civil society actors come together for the COP20 climate negotiations, and the world is expecting progress towards an international climate agreement expected to be reached ...
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 ...
Sustainable transport plays an important role in helping Chinese cities address their debilitating air pollution. Photo by Da Yang/Flickr.
China’s clean air challenge: The health impacts of transport emissions
This is the first post of the China’s Clean Air Challenge series, exclusive to TheCityFix. This series examines the increasing social, environmental, and economic impacts of the serious air quality issue in Chinese cities, and investigates the source of emissions ...
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, ...
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