Transportation for America and six coalition groups including the Safe Routes to School National Partnership met with U.S. Transportation Dept. Secretary Ray LaHood yesterday to present the report, Dangerous by Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths, and to advocate for more federal policies to improve pedestrian safety.
LaHood committed the DOT Safety Council to working with advocacy groups to ensure streets are as safe as possible. Complete Streets policies, requiring that roadways be designed for the safety and comfort of all users, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders, were on the agenda as well. More than 100 localities and states have adopted these policies.
Secretary LaHood has established a distracted driving initiative, a new Safety Council and has shown strong support for community livability in general. “By adding Complete Streets to his list of safety priorities, he and his department can help ensure that every road project facilitates safe travel for everyone — including vulnerable pedestrians,” Transportation for America concluded in a post-meeting release.
Streetsblog Los Angeles has a local perspective on pedestrian safety issues here.