News, Views and Analysis from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments
San Francisco's "Vision Zero" pedestrian safety plan received a $75,000 cash infusion this month with the program reporting a 41 percent drop in traffic deaths in the city since its 2014 launch. Read More
Strained infrastructure, safe transportation, sea-level rise, bike access – all Bay Area issues. They are also issues for one of the favorite vacation destinations for Bay Area residents: Maui. Read More
What's new with bike sharing, housing development fees and high speed rail? Settle in for some in-depth reading on these and other topics of interest to regional government. Housing, transportation, the environment and the latest MTC publications are all included in this month's library link round-up. Read More
Walk to Work Day is an annual event to pay tribute to the oft-overlooked act of putting one foot in front of the other. Now in its sixth year, Walk to Work Day, organized by Walk SF and sponsored by MTC, invites everyone who lives or works in San Francisco to walk part of their commute. Learn more about the event and read some stories from our staff members about their walks to work. Read More
A few weeks ago we highlighted how the Bay Area has experienced a recent sharp upward trend in fatalities and injuries from roadway crashes, and that bicyclists and pedestrians were bearing the brunt of these unwelcome developments. A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) suggests growing dangers for pedestrians are not just a Bay Area issue: in both relative and absolute terms, pedestrian deaths nationwide are at levels not seen in decades.
The report, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities By State: 2017 Preliminary Data, contains a host of alarming findings about conditions for pedestrians across the country (emphasis added in bold):
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- The nationwide number of pedestrian fatalities increased 27 percent from 2007 to 2016, while all other traffic fatalities over this period decreased by 14 percent.
- Pedestrian deaths as a percent of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased steadily, from 11 percent in 2007 to 16 percent in 2016. Pedestrians now account for the largest proportion of traffic fatalities during the past 33 years.
Bad news for the Bay Area’s pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers: the latest data from Vital Signs, the Bay Area’s comprehensive performance monitoring website, shows a sharp upward trend in road fatalities and injuries from roadway crashes.
There were 455 fatalities and 2,089 injuries from crashes in 2016, representing 43 percent and 25 percent increases from 2010, respectively. Although roads have become increasingly safe for motorists thanks to improved vehicle safety technologies, the data show that bicyclists and pedestrians are a growing share of fatalities and injuries in the region and are experiencing higher fatality levels compared to recent decades. Read More