Category: Articles
Where and when LED flashing signs work best
LED flashing signs have been sporadically popping-up on vulnerable roadways for the last two decades. These are traffic signs embedded with simultaneously flashing LEDs outlining the shape of the sign’s perimeter or warning message. The high-intensity flashing lights are activated in real-time or by programmable calendar settings. Ultimately, the intention of an LED-embedded flashing sign […]
Is solar power a good option for traffic products in cold climates?
Where do you think some of the best places in the world for generating solar power exist? Mexico? Australia? Brazil? Making a guess on a country with a warm climate and year-round sunshine is a completely logical answer. Would it surprise you to know that this list ranking the countries in the world with the most […]
Highlights from USDOT’s first-ever Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently released a first-of-its-kind Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. A joint effort between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the plan identifies what the two agencies plan to do about the worsening problem of pedestrian injuries and fatalities on America’s roads. According to […]
Progressive and proven ideas for changing driver behavior and improving safety at crosswalks
Marked crosswalks are supposed to keep pedestrians safe when they step off the curb, but as a tragic recent examples from Ohio and North Carolina show, crosswalk paint and other visibility markings often aren’t enough to overcome street designs—and attitudes—that prioritize vehicles above all else. Building streets that are safe and equitable for all is […]
Variable speed limit signs improve safety on highways, school zones, and more
Whether you’re driving along a high-speed expressway in California or a quiet residential street in Maine, there’s one thing you’re bound to encounter: speed limit signs. Typically positioned at the roadside every few miles, these familiar black-and-white signs communicate the legal maximum speed that vehicles should travel under ideal conditions. That last part is important. […]
How desire paths can pave the way to permanent pedestrian infrastructure
Clogged with traffic and lined with iconic theaters, corporate headquarters, mom and pop shops, and apartments of every vintage and state of repair, it’s hard to imagine now that New York City’s Broadway was once a single-track trail cut into the brush by Native Americans. But that’s exactly what it was—a humble trail that snaked […]
Considerations for ensuring accessible, ADA-compliant crosswalks
By now, most of us have probably encountered an example of a pedestrian accessibility enhancement in our neighborhoods. Whether it’s a curb ramp or an audible countdown timer, these engineering and technological advancements function to make pedestrian facilities usable by people of all ages and capabilities. Many of these now-familiar advancements are a result of […]
Using radar speed signs to effect lasting change on multimodal roadways
Speeding continues to be a significant safety threat on today’s roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding killed 9,378 people in 2018, and has been a factor in a third of all crash fatalities for more than two decades. Although there are a number of tactics aimed at slowing traffic—posted speed […]
Improve crosswalk safety after dark with purpose-built pedestrian-scale lighting
It’s getting more dangerous to walk after dark. According to recently released data from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), nighttime crashes accounted for more than 90% of the total increase in pedestrian deaths in the past decade. Nearly three quarters of these fatalities happened away from intersections, in locations where drivers are not conditioned […]