Public Health
Streetsblog Basics
Illinois Adopts “Complete Streets” Into Law
The National Complete Streets Coalition reports on an important victory for the livable streets movement in Illinois. A new law mandates that the principles of complete streets must be incorporated into all new projects and construction, effective immediately.
October 17, 2007
Indianapolis Paves the Way for Bikes and Pedestrians
Construction is underway on what may be the nation's most advanced urban greenway system.
October 15, 2007
National Media Noticing the Urban Bicycling Trend
Apparently unaware of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's assertion that "human-powered vehicles are never going to be the answer," USA Today reports that several large U.S. cities are accelerating their efforts to encourage commuting on two wheels. The article cites New York for the new separated bike lane, and for putting bike racks where cars once parked.
October 9, 2007
Renewed Calls for Ped Safety Summit as Death Toll Mounts
After a weekend that saw three pedestrian fatalities and just as many serious injuries -- with no known criminal charges filed against any of the motorists involved as of this writing -- a Manhattan-based advocacy group has renewed calls for action on pedestrian safety.
October 8, 2007
The World’s Greenest, Most Livable Cities
Writing in this month's Reader's Digest, Matthew Kahn, an environmental economist at UCLA's Institute of the Environment, analyzed data from 141 nations and ranked the planet's greenest, most livable places.
October 8, 2007
Doubts About DOT Congestion Prescription in Jax Heights
Community activists in Jackson Heights have been complaining about congestion at the corner at 73rd St. and 37th Ave. (right) for years. A major traffic study of the area is underway, but according to a DOT spokesman, the department didn't want to wait to implement "short-term initiatives" that could ease the problem. Problem is, some of the activists--including Will Sweeney of the Western Jackson Heights Alliance--aren't necessarily thrilled with the department's solution.
October 3, 2007
Vehicular Homicide Charge in Thomson Death
The man who police arrested for hitting and killing 24-year-old Julia Thomson last weekend has been charged with vehicular homicide.
October 2, 2007
Fresh Direct Responds to Environmental Critics
FreshDirect, the company that has built a grocery empire, in part, by using New York City's free, public streets as their virtual warehouse, sent out an e-mail yesterday to let customers know of five new environmental initiatives the company is undertaking. While the company's non-union truck drivers may still be double-parking, creating traffic congestion and driving recklessly through your neighborhood, rest assured that their trucks' tailpipe emissions will smell more like greasy Chinese food than diesel particulate matter:
October 2, 2007