Across the country, vehicular fatalities are on the rise.
According to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2020 had the highest number of crash fatalities in more than a decade, despite a 13% drop in overall miles driven.
“While Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, NHTSA’s early estimates show that an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007,” the agency revealed last week. “This represents an increase of about 7.2 percent as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019.”
Arlington has not seen the same level of fatal crashes, particularly those involving pedestrians, as neighboring D.C. But county leaders are still focused on reducing serious crashes via a new Vision Zero Action Plan approved by the Arlington County Board last month.
Transport for London
TfL urges riders and drivers to watch out for each other as too many young lives are lost each year
TfL wants to highlight the vulnerability of powered two-wheel vehicle users, as demand for them has surged throughout the pandemic.
TfL and the police are encouraging road users to watch out for each other in a new advertising campaign during Global Road Safety Week, following a worrying number of young men being tragically killed or seriously injured in motorcycle collisions.
People riding motorcycles face the greatest likelihood of death or serious injury of anyone driving on the roads. Provisional data for 2020 shows that 31 people in London were tragically killed in a collision involving a power two-wheel (PTW) vehicle, such as a motorcycle, moped or scooter and 12 of these collisions are believed to involve no other vehicle.
Jersey City expands Fairmount Triangle Park
Jersey City expands Fairmount Triangle Park
2 / 3
Jersey City officials broke ground on the park expansion on May, 17. Photo by City of Jersey City.
3 / 3
❮
2 / 3
Jersey City officials broke ground on the park expansion on May, 17. Photo by City of Jersey City.
3 / 3
❮
❯
Jersey City officials broke ground on the expansion of Fairmount Triangle Park in Ward F launching a $200,000 park renovation.
The renovation aims to improve safe access while increasing outdoor recreational space.
The grant-funded project will transform two street segments that bisect existing green spaces – at the intersection of Fairmount and Summit avenues – to create an uninterrupted park.
May 6, 2021 at 1:40pm
By 2030, Arlington County aims to have zero transportation-related deaths and serious injuries on its streets and trails.
The County Board took its first step toward this ambitious goal in July 2019, the same year that Arlington registered six fatal crashes, according to county data. The board adopted a “Vision Zero” resolution that, at the time, offered few details. Its second step was to draft a five-year action plan.
After more than a year of work by county staff and review by advisory commissions, the final draft of the first five-year Vision Zero Action Plan, with those long-awaited details, is set to be reviewed by the County Board next Saturday (May 15).
Modern Mobility is a biweekly opinion column. The views expressed are solely the author’s.
The County is in the midst of putting together their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the next three years.
This document will determine what projects get built in the near future, from transportation to parks to stormwater infrastructure.
This is an opportunity to reset our priorities and “build back better” to a transportation system that is safe and sustainable.
Arlington’s Capital Improvement Plan should:
Fund Vision Zero
Arlington is expected to adopt their Vision Zero Action Plan later this Spring. The Vision Zero plan envisions a comprehensive, safe-systems approach to identifying the common factors that contribute to Arlington’s severe and fatal crashes and to address those factors systematically.