In this video, Vox explores the most dangerous road in America, found in New Port Richey, Florida. This arterial road (a section of US-19) is responsible for 17 fatal crashes from 2001-2016. Vox then interviews pedestrians who frequent US-19, recording their testimonies as damning proof of the failures and inadequacies of this road. For example, crosswalks on this 8-lane road are 950m apart from one another, which is approximately a 30-40 minute walk TO REACH THE NEXT CROSSWALK. Vox then records their reporter attempting to use one of these crosswalks, and, I kid you not, the crosswalk was defunct; she waited for over 10 minutes, yet she NEVER got the go-ahead to cross. The video ends with a rundown of the actions New Port Richey is currently taking to improve the safety and holistic function of this road.

In this article, Shrikant shows that cities with higher walk scores on the walkability index are better for the economy and more accessible to all residents. Making cities more walkable requires several key changes, including reshaping roads and streets to include pedestrian and bike friendly travel modes, as well as shifting our cities to mixed-use zoning allowing residences to be in the same area as grocery stores and doctor's offices and other necessary locations. People that walk or use public transit spend less money downtown per trip they make but they also make more trips which makes it better for the economy of a downtown overall. Walkability can often lead to gentrification, but areas with greater transportation choice (instead of being car-dependent) often are more suitable to all incomes. The article finishes with a call to action, asking cities to shift to more modes of transportation for the sake of the environment and for the sake of their economies.

In this article, Lydia Kenselaar discusses a new project that Alta is undertaking in Peoria, Arizona. Alta is a firm dedicated to implementing active transportation planning in US cities, and they have set their sights on solving urban heat islands in Peoria. Peoria had 70 days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in 2020, and the city isn't well suited for the heat. Solutions proposed include increased tree coverage to created shaded and more pleasant streets, and prioritizing tree coverage in gaps so that people can access emergency cool centers easier. Alta is looking at redesigning a segment of street to create a pleasant public space that's resistant to urban heat and can be used comfortably in summer months. The article proposes that cities affected by urban heat should pursue solutions like this to make their cities more livable in the summer.

In this article, Allen-Price explores the nature of APS (Accessible Pedestrian Signal) use in San Francisco. Many standard crosswalks have visual indicators of when to cross, but this does not help the vision impaired. In San Francisco, and more widely in Europe and Australia, they have differening speeds of clicking that indicate when to cross, as well as a tactile arrow on the crosswalk button to know the direction of the crossing, and the button will vibrate and different intensities to match the clicking for those that are both hearing and vision impaired. This makes crosswalks and pedestrian infrastructure as a whole much more accessible to all abilities. There are currently 283 intersections like this in San Francisco, and more are requested.

In this article, Jeelani discusses the construction of a bike/ped infrastructure project in Minneapolis called the Samatar Crossing. The Samatar Crossing repurposes a highway ramp, making a path that spans across I-35 and directly connects Cedar-Riverside to Downtown Minneapolis. It includes separate pathways and pedestrian scale lighting, and public art was commissioned to make it a more welcoming space. Hussein Samatar (the pathway's namesake) was a key figure in the significant Somali-American community in Cedar-Riverside, and was one of the first Somali-American's to be elected to public office. The pathway was named after him because he worked to bridge gaps between the immigrant community of Cedar-Riverside and the mainstream, which the bridge does (quite literally) for the first time since the Interstate's construction.

Kendig Keasts and the City of Florence update their previous plan to develop downtown Florence and they reflect on its effectiveness. They start by highlighting many of their successes, including the recruitment of FMU's Nurse facility and Hyatt Place for downtown locations as well as expansion and implementation of better streetscapes, sinage, and urban design. They emphasize how their success came out of collaboration between public, private, and philanthropic interests, and how their success makes them a regional center of how to develop a downtown. Florence continues hoping to obtain another major employer downtown, build a permanent farmer's market location, complete a bike-path system, and remove structures that do not contribute economically or aesthetically. Downtown Florence surpassed many of their goals, and they finish the proposal with a strong push forward.

FDOT installed 3 PHBs (pedestrian hybrid beacons - traffic control devices) and crosswalk illumination in Tampa, Florida in 2015 in order to decrease car-pedestrian collisions. They created a marketing campaign with the Center for Urban Transport Research to promote and raise awareness for the changes using a budget of $18,000. The community impacted by these changes responded positively, happy to see the implementations. Though some drivers exhibited confusion regarding how the PHBs worked, that was easily fixed with a road sign detailing it (signs read, “Stop on flashing red then proceed if clear.”) and crash rates fell 65% from an average of 20 down to 7 per year.

Kendig Keasts and the City of Florence write a proposal on key ideas moving forward in revitalizing Downtown Florence. They start by stressing the need to look long-term and take advantage of opportunities present to them in existing infrastructure, economic cores, or major industries. They wanted to link the Medical Hub of McLeod to Downtown, and establish a node of professional services given the high amount of Lawyers, Doctors, and Bankers in the region. They also wanted to develop a Cultural campus in a City Beautiful era fashion, and mixed use recreational development in an underdeveloped section of downtown. They had plans to create a transit hub involving biking and walking paths with the possibility of an Amtrak station. Topping it off, they wanted to restore some historical buildings in a historical district, provide some low-income housing availability, and create a financial district perfect for incubating local businesses. By combining private investments from the Bruce & Lee Foundation and others with public interest, they created a plan to make downtown a open and welcoming environment, not just an in-between but a destination.

In this article, the author details the growth of the Tempe, Arizona biking infrastructure, including the opening of a new bike bridge. The bridge is connected to many parts of the city, leading to it becoming an accessible way for cyclists, and pedestrians to commute to locations, including both employment and commercial. The article also talks about how there is an increase in cycling infrastructure around the Arizona State University campus, due to the increase in student population and the movement away from cars. The push towards pedestrian and cycling focused infrastructure in the Tempe area has led to those unable to afford cars to find employment in the area. The advancements in infrastructure are also improving the economy of the Tempe area, creating more accessible employment opportunities.  

Prior to Covid-19 America was so deep-set in cars that it was near impossible to break out the cycle. Cars were essential in order to get to work, until all of a sudden, they weren't. The pandemic turned America on its head but also provided the means for radical new changes. Cities across the country; specifically Seattle, Pitsburg, and Austen; began closing and shrinking roads to make space for cyclists and pedestrians. Seattle's Mayor even made the changes permanent. The best part is these ideas aren't new. Our "love affair" with cars has been waning for years. As Krizek put it "the pandemic has allowed us to see into the future of our cities." 

In 2016, an organization called Macon Connects, based in Macon, Georgia, organized the creation of a pop-up bike network that ran through downtown Macon. Macon Connects is an initiative that aims to make the city easier to get around as well as more connected for its residents. Before creating the bike lane, the organization held an ideas festival where they gathered information from citizens on what they would like to see from the bike network. The results of the festival were used to create a bike network that passed by places residents actually want to ride to. A five mile bike grid was made by over 90 local volunteers using white athletic field paint. After only being up for one week, the project showed great results. The data from four bike counters along the network showed there was an 854% increase in the average daily bike count with the network. Since the pop-up network was successful, a permanent, three mile long, unprotected bike lane was created in July 2017. 

This article explains how Peterborough's GreenUp NeighbourPLAN Program organized pop-up pedestrian infrastructure in busy areas of their town. They worked within public spaces of three neighborhoods in Peterborough: Talwood, Downtown Jackson Creek, and Jackson Park-Brookdale. A co-design process was used for the project, meaning vision documents were made by residents working with built environment professionals. The vision documents contained what residents would like to see in their neighborhoods. These ideas are what inspired pop-up pedestrian infrastructure. For areas with high speed traffic, crosswalks were added using chalk paint to slow traffic and allow for safe crossings. Extending the curbs of large, hard to cross intersections made it easier to predict the movement of cars and safer to cross. This article also goes into strategies to making pop-up infrastructure and discusses the idea of tactical urbanism, which involves fast, cheap, temporary, initiatives and projects to make civic changes to local areas.