"Is this just one of many roads you take on your drive to work? Or is this where your kids play and your neighbors walk their dogs? The question of the right speed is one of perspective. For decades, lawmakers and traffic engineers primarily saw things from the point of view of drivers. But that is changing. Increasingly, states and communities are considering the needs of nonmotorists - and are slowing vehicles down."
"When I first started out in transportation engineering, the field was centered around vehicles; the goal was to make traffic move smoothly and minimize delays. The safety and comfort of pedestrians, bicyclists and other nonmotorists wasn't a priority. This lack of attention to pedestrian safety over the years has likely contributed to the high rate of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. today. Pedestrian fatalities make up nearly a fifth of all road deaths and have increased 78 percent since reaching their low point in 2009."
Neighborhood speed preferences vary by perspective; residents prioritize safety while through-drivers prioritize travel time. Historically, traffic engineering prioritized vehicle flow and minimizing delays over pedestrian comfort and safety. That historical neglect likely contributed to a rise in pedestrian deaths: pedestrian fatalities now account for nearly a fifth of all road deaths and have increased 78 percent since 2009. States and communities are beginning to prioritize nonmotorists and adopt strategies such as lowering speed limits. Default statutory speed limits on most U.S. residential and urban streets are typically 25 or 30 mph, but many drivers routinely exceed posted limits by 5 to 10 mph.
Read at Streetsblog
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