News

UC Berkeley SafeTREC is thrilled to pilot Safety Stories, a new storytelling feature on the California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (CATSIP) website. Safety Stories provides an avenue for planners, designers, engineers and safe active transportation advocates to share their experiences, lessons learned and best practices for improving active transportation safety among California’s diverse communities.

Stay up to date with the latest road safety trends and best practices in active transportation with webinars happening in May 2019!

May is National Bicycle Safety Month!

April 11, 2019 article reposted with permission from The Berkeley Times 

Do you live or ride a bicycle in Oakland? If so, Oakland’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT) currently seeks input from East Bay residents on the latest draft plan of Let’s Bike Oakland.

Everyone starts their trip as a pedestrian, whether by walking to their car, heading to a transit station, an e-bike corral, or pushing a stroller down the sidewalk. Some folks, either out of choice or pure necessity, complete entire trips by walking, while others might walk for exercise or to de-stress. The benefits of walking (or rolling) are manifold: reduced air pollution, decreased risk of chronic health conditions, stronger ties to the community, and boosts to the local economy. Simply put, when we plan and design healthy, safe, livable walking communities everybody benefits.

Stay up to date with the latest road safety trends and best practices in active transportation with webinars happening in April 2019!

The Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC), along with Caltrans, is hosting two trainings next month intended to guide practitioners in the planning and design of bicycle routes along roadways in California. These free, day-long introductory courses are designed for architects, planners, engineers from local, regional and state agencies to “explore the tools used to assess and evaluate the suitability of a transportation route and facilitate its use by all types of cyclists.” Larry Moore, a retired Caltrans engineer, will teach both courses.

In communities throughout California, there is a call to make our streets safer for people of all ages and abilities, no matter how they are traveling, whether that is by car, walking, biking or riding a bus. In 2016, 16 pedestrians died every day in traffic collisions, averaging a pedestrian every 1.5 hours. Bicycle fatalities increased by 8.1% from 136 fatalities in 2015 to 147 fatalities in 2016. How might we rethink this focus and design with safety in mind for all modes of travel?

Stay up to date with the latest road safety trends and best practices in active transportation with webinars happening in March 2019!

This month, learn about methods to improve the safety for people walking and rolling for transportation with webinars from the Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHWA), the U.S. Department of Transportation, America Walks, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, and Portland State University’s Transportation Research and Education Center.

A new group of California laws took effect January 1, 2019 related to roadway safety for bicycle and pedestrian travel. 

In short, the new laws update rules for motorized scooters, amend guidelines for helmet use, extend hit-and-run law provisions to people using a Class I bikeway, and enable roadway users to accurately reflect their gender identity on state-issued documents.

Stay informed of California’s new traffic safety laws:

A new report by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition looks at pedestrian safety in the United States by measuring how deadly it is for people walking as a means of transportation.

Stay up to date with the latest road safety trends and best practices in active transportation with webinars happening in February 2019! 

This month, explore a variety of topics related to pedestrian, bicycle, and non-motorized travel safety with some of the nation's leading active transportation experts. Topics include: approaches to pedestrian safety analysis, fresh tools for community engagement and empowerment, building resilient transportation infrastructure, fostering equity, and aligning with human-centered mobility principles. 

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) recently posted staff recommendations for funded projects for the Statewide and Small Urban & Rural components of the 2019 Active Transportation Program (ATP).

From coast to coast, a number of cities have commited to Vision Zero, an approach to road safety that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while working to ensure safety for all. To help city leaders focus commitments and actions on the most significant and proven areas of change to advance safe mobility, the Vision Zero Network has released a new resource, "Core Elements for Vision Zero Communities."

As the year comes to a close, we've gathered together a selection of webinars promoting active transportation, and proven road safety approaches and countermeasures. 

Have a webinar you'd like us to share? Please submit your event here.

Vision Zero 101: The Basics
Hosted by Vision Zero Network
December 05, 2018 at 9am PT / 12Pm ET // Registration

Increasing opportunities for walking and biking has many health benefits. But how can cities and counties support and create streets in our communities that are accessible and safe for all users? What types of improvements and plans are needed for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists to get where they need to go safely, comfortably and easily?