All, I received this message from one of our TDM Partners in Virginia. If you haven't seen it, I hope you will take a look. Additionally, if your municipality has a Vision Program or separate Bike/Ped program, they may be interested as well. Here is the email and the link to the article that is currently posted for free. ~Shelly
We would like to call to your attention a new article in the journal Sustainability: “Overview of Walking Rates, Walking Safety, and Government Policies to Encourage More and Safer Walking in Europe and North America.” The article is open access and downloadable in full as a pdf. Here is the URL link:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/7/5719.
We would appreciate it if you would share our article via that URL link with anyone you know who may be interested in the topic of walking. We would also appreciate it if you would share the link via social media such as Twitter or Linkedin.
We hope that you find the article useful and informative.
Sincerely,
John and Ralph
Abstract:
Walking is the most sustainable means of daily travel for short trip distances and is a key component of the overall transport system. This paper documents variation in walking rates among countries, cities in the same country, and in different parts of the same city. Our international analysis of official government statistics shows that walking rates are highest for short trips, higher for women than for men, decline with increasing income, and remain constant as age increases. Walking fatality rates are much higher in the USA compared with the other countries we examined, both per capita and per km walked. Government policies that would increase walking rates while improving pedestrian safety include: integrated networks of safe and convenient walking infrastructure; roadways and intersections designed for the needs of pedestrians; land-use regulations that encourage mixed uses and short trip distances; lower city-wide speed limits and traffic calming in residential neighborhoods; reduced supply and increased price of parking; traffic laws that give priority to pedestrians; improved traffic education for motorists and non-motorists; tax surcharges on large personal vehicles; and strict enforcement of laws against drink and distracted driving. Five decades of success with these policies in many European cities provide practical examples for car-oriented cities to follow, especially in North America.
Full citation of the article:
Buehler, R. and Pucher, J. 2023. Overview of Walking Rates, Walking Safety, and Government Policies to Encourage More and Safer Walking in Europe and North America. Sustainability 2023, 15, 5719. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075719
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Recent articles:
"Cycling through the COVID-19 Pandemic"
"A global overview of cycling trends"
"Cycling in 17 Countries and Across 6 Continents"
"Promoting Bicycling in Car-Oriented Cities"
"Redrawing the Planners' Circle"
"Changes in Travel Behavior, Attitudes, and Preferences among E-Scooter Riders and Nonriders"
“What type of infrastructures do e-scooter riders prefer?”
NEW BOOK: Cycling for Sustainable Cities
Ralph Buehler, PhD
Professor and Chair Urban Affairs and Planning
School of Public and International Affairs
Virginia Tech Research Center (VTRC)
Office 6-012 (MC0804)
900 N Glebe Rd
Arlington, VA 22203
571-858-3111