https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/23/paris-car-free-vote-anne-hidalgo/ “the program will make the city more livable and help combat climate change” #Paris #climate #SafeStreets #CleanAir #trees

Living Streets Canberra is hosting its next meeting on Tuesday the 18th at 6pm.

We are having a look at Send Snap Solve, plus there will be an update on Lower Lyneham the 30km/hr trial.

https://livingstreets.org.au/meeting/

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (#AJC) in #Atlanta: This murder-by-car of a human (I'm not going to use the bullshit passive voice and "pedestrian" on this one) was completely avoidable.

Link: https://archive.ph/j40Vw

How so?

There used to be a "shared street" setup on Peachtree Street in Atlanta where the outer lanes of the street were converted to an outdoor sitting area, and the road section for cars was a single-lane in each direction. Traffic slowed down, and the area was more safe for all street users.

But, alas, the property owner of the surrounding buildings and the hotel nearby pitched a fit, claiming various bs excuses like "it took more time to get to the interstate" and "ambulances will be delayed" and so on.

Then, that property owner (Bowers) used his money/power/influence in the General Assembly (Georgia's state legislature) to threaten to ban any future "complete streets" if the shared street wasn't torn down. He bullied the mayor into doing it, and the rest is history.

Source: I helped lead a protest against the tearing down of the shared street. It was awesome, inspiring, and ultimately made no f-ing difference apparently.

And now a man is dead because some asshole property owner thought, rather ironically, that an ambulance would get stuck to pick up a patient. Oh, and he may be a few minutes late getting home.

Kudos to the AJC for reminding people of the history of this.

#safestreets
#urbanplanning
#georgia
#peachtree

Genuine question. As an active transportation and Safe Streets advocate, should I support DeFlock.me or automated license plate readers?

#WarOnCars #SafeStreets #Freedom

RE: https://mastodon.social/users/eff/statuses/114071602190940400

Study shows why bike lane projects are controversial and what cities can do to make it easier [momentummag.com]

"Key findings from the study highlight the significance of challenging the status quo to garner support for new initiatives. Despite initial opposition or skepticism, the report suggests that public opinion often shifts in favor of cycling infrastructure once the benefits become evident. However, policymakers are cautioned against adopting a paternalistic approach in promoting active travel schemes, as it may risk alienating segments of the population."

#BikeTooter #CycleLanes #BikeLanes #SafeStreets

#NewBooks2025

National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)’s
Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Third Edition

https://nacto.org/2025/01/07/nacto-launches-new-urban-bikeway-design-guide/

"Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and recognized in federal law, the Urban Bikeway Design Guide is used by hundreds of municipalities, state DOTs, and regional agencies across the U.S. and Canada to design streets that are safe and accessible for people biking."

"it takes a particular kind of customer to buy a car knowing it has a low-star safety rating for the occupants and potential Mad-Max-style lethality to those outside the vehicle."

https://buff.ly/3YtWQcw

@notjustbikes @WIRED #Cybertruck #Wankpanzer #Fuckcars #Carfree #LowCar #WarOnCars #Urbanism #15MinuteCity #CarsDestroyedOurCities #CarsRuinCities #PeopleOverCars #PedestrianFriendly #SafeStreets #TransportationJustice #HalfHeartedFanatic #EU #CzechRepublic #Slovakia

While Amsterdam is often cited as a great example of a walkable, bike-friendly, and public transit-oriented city, this wasn’t always the case. In the 1970s, it was just another car-dominated city, hostile to people – especially children. Then, they decided to do one crucial thing that changed everything: they PUT CHILDREN FIRST. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01lw88k] That was it! The main reason Amsterdam is now a lovely walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented city is that its residents got together and told the city to prioritised the lives of children over the needs of motorists.

[ The image features a large banner displayed at Museumplein, Amsterdam, with the message "Stop de Kindermoord" (Stop the Child Murder) prominently displayed. The backdrop includes a crowd of people gathered in solidarity, holding various signs and banners advocating for children's rights and safety. The atmosphere is one of protest and awareness, with trees and the iconic buildings of the square in the background.] [owgf.org]

So why aren’t all cities adopting this approach? Shouldn’t every city prioritize children? The only moral answer is yes. While some may argue, “It’s not that simple,” the truth is, it really is quite straightforward. Whenever cities make infrastructure decisions, the first question should be: “How can we make this infrastructure as safe as possible for everyone?” Additionally, city leaders need to ask at a strategic level: “What is our plan to achieve Zero Pedestrian, Bike, and Car deaths?” Many cities claim to have a Zero Road Deaths goal, but few are genuinely committed to it, often placing cars ahead of human lives.

Among all the areas for safety improvements, schools should be a top priority. If we can’t prioritize children’s lives over cars, what does that say about our cities and society? The good news is that we are witnessing a global movement dedicated to making school streets safer, and it truly spans the globe. In New York City, USA, there’s Vision Zero Schools. In the UK, we have Safe Routes to School. In Mexico City, Mexico, there’s Calle Escuela. Tokyo, Japan, has a School Zone Safety Program. Copenhagen, Denmark, is implementing the Streets for Kids initiative. Of significant note is Paris which has gone all in and launched “Programme de rues scolaires sûres”, aiming to establish over 100 safe, green streets for children by 2026. [Link] This ambitious program has already made significant strides, converting car-dominated streets into spaces for people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezPzocuqKPc

Many of the new school streets in Paris have developed a vibrant life of their own, transforming into “third places” for parents to gather. They now host pop-up play areas, community workshops, art installations, book libraries, gardening initiatives, and family engagement events. These Safe Street programs not only enhance safety but also improve the overall quality of life in the city. When cities fully commit to making school streets safer, they create better environments for everyone. Shouldn’t every city strive to implement similar initiatives?

While it may not be feasible for every school, we can start by identifying those streets where it’s relatively easy, just as Paris has done. For anyone curious to learn more, there are many online resources that offer inspiration and guidance for setting up a Safe School Streets initiative. This PDF is a particularly helpful resource which provides a wide variety of information on making streets safer in general: https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/designing-streets-for-kids/.

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Another excellent resource is this site, filled with valuable information, links and inspiration: https://www.childhealthinitiative.org/.

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It may be worth googling “Your City Name” and School Safe Streets and seeing if there isn’t already a local organisation to support.

[ White text on a black background saying: "Mommy, a car is coming!"- Last words of Mariame Kebe, 3, to her mom before being killed] [owgf.org]

From New York: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U16CpAM1rFY.

There should be no excuses for inaction. Once the dangers are made clear to public officials, prioritizing safety must be a top concern. Nobody wants to read headlines like, “Man charged with manslaughter after boy is killed by a car outside school,” or see quotes like the one above.

Spread the word….

Note:

This post was created in #WordPress and can be viewed in the #Fedivers at: @owgf.org@owgf.org [owgf.org]

OWGF has a Fediverse companion profile at: https://mastodon.world/@OWGF

OWGF is also on #Pixelfed here: https://pixelfed.social/OWGFhttps://pixelfed.social/OWGF

https://owgf.org/2024/09/29/shouldnt-every-school-have-safe-streets/