With pedestrian deaths surging nationwide, the Federal Highway Administration released a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.
The manual contains standards for street markings and design, standardizing signage, and making driving as seamless as possible. The new edition is the first update in 14 years.
Critics have lamented that the manual has been too focused on moving vehicular traffic as quickly as possible, sometimes sacrificing safety. The regulations have been redesigned to align with the Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, a 2022 initiative that aims to dramatically reduce traffic deaths via a multilayered “safe system” approach widely used in Europe.
The 1,000-page manual now focuses more on pedestrian and bicycling safety elements such as sidewalk markings, guidelines on cycle lane design, and features such as turn boxes and intersection safety improvements such as flashing beacons at crosswalks. The manual also includes standard signage for EV charging stations on highways.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | May 31, 2016
The entire Swedish city of Kiruna is being relocated to prevent it from collapsing into underground iron mines
Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, and its 20,000 residents will be moved two miles to the east by 2040.
Urban Planning | May 23, 2016
Developer acquires 62 acres of vacant land in Chicago
Related Midwest will turn the strip that connects the South Loop to Chinatown into a neighborhood with homes, stores, and offices.
Urban Planning | May 20, 2016
Why people are the most important factor in urban regeneration
What makes large-scale urban regeneration projects successful? CallisonRTKL's Edgar Kiviet explores how cities, particularly those in Eastern Europe, are undergoing a transformation.
Urban Planning | May 16, 2016
5 steps to creating high-performance communities
Perkins+Will's Noah Friedman and Kristen Hall break down the essential ingredients to create a neighborhood that's accessible, comfortable, and vibrant.
Urban Planning | May 4, 2016
Brookings report details how different industries innovate
In the new report, “How Firms Learn: Industry Specific Strategies for Urban Economies,” Brookings' Scott Andes examines how manufacturing and software services firms develop new products, processes, and ideas.
Urban Planning | Apr 19, 2016
MVRDV wants to turn a former US Army barracks in Germany into a model for the future of suburban living
Blending traditional families with young couples and the newly retired, MVRDV hopes to transform traditional suburbs into diverse communities of shared experiences
High-rise Construction | Mar 10, 2016
Bigger, taller, wider: London’s skyline is about to have a major growth spurt
More than 100 tall buildings have been added to the plans for the capital city since this time last year, and the overall number of tall buildings planned for London is now over 400.
High-rise Construction | Feb 25, 2016
Kohn Pedersen Fox wants to build a mile-high tower in Tokyo
The tower would be the centerpiece of Next Tokyo, a mini city in Tokyo Bay adapted to climate change and rising tides.
Mixed-Use | Feb 18, 2016
New renderings unveiled for Miami Worldcenter master plan
The ‘High Street’ retail promenade and plaza is one of the largest private master-planned projects in the U.S. and is set to break ground in early March.
Green | Feb 18, 2016
Best laid plans: Masdar City’s dreams of being the first net-zero city may have disappeared
The $22 billion experiment, to this point, has produced less than stellar results.
