Transportation policies enacted in Hoboken, N.J. over the past several years are paying off in the form of fewer pedestrian deaths and injuries.
The city has adopted daylighting, bike lanes, lower speed limits, and intersection redesigns to make its roads safer. The citywide speed limit was reduced to 20 miles per hour. Crosswalks have been painted and repaved to make it easier for drivers to see them. More than 40 curb extensions have been installed to direct cars farther from intersections. Bike lanes now grace about half of Hoboken’s roads.
The mayor says that a bucket of paint enables the city to create a curb extension and high visibility crosswalks to realize a much safer environment at a modest cost. The measures taken by Hoboken have resulted in no traffic death since January 2017, with injuries falling 41%. This safer environment occurred while pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reach 40-year highs.
Daylighting, implementing measures that prevent cars parking at the corner of an intersection, has been a key strategy. This initiative was realized with bump outs—extensions of sidewalks or the creation of small rain gardens in lieu of additional pavement, or the addition of bike racks or bollards.
Related Stories
| Aug 30, 2012
Federal government cancels defense contracts worth $2.15 billion
This action may foreshadow federal spending cuts scheduled for year's end if Congress takes no action on the federal budget.
| Aug 30, 2012
Public comment period is open for CRRC-1 standard
The CRRC-1 standard covers specimen preparation and test methods for measuring the initial and aged solar reflectance and thermal emittance of roofing products.
| Aug 30, 2012
LEED system's footprint reaches 2 billion sf, with 7 billion sf in the pipeline
About 7 billion more sf of commercial space is expected in the pipeline.
| Aug 30, 2012
Georgia drops LEED wood source standard on state projects
Currently, LEED green building standards only accept timber products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
| Aug 21, 2012
AGC offers second edition of the Federal Government Contractor: Ethics & Compliance Programs manual
This publication helps contractors appreciate the grounds for an alleged violation of the expected standards of business conduct and ethics, and to develop, implement, and document an effective ethics and compliance program.
| Aug 21, 2012
Federal Safe Building Code Incentive Act’s bipartisan support, no notable objection, bodes well for passage
The Safe Building Code Incentive Act would give states a little extra post-disaster federal funding if they enacted and enforced nationally recognized building codes for businesses and residences before disaster strikes.
| Aug 16, 2012
New York’s Barclays Center project accused of ignoring noise, pollution regulations
Construction crews racing to finish the Brooklyn Barclays Center are ignoring strict regulations to reduce noise and pollution, a new report by critics has found.
| Aug 16, 2012
Harness saves life of worker cleaning Washington state Capitol
Fall-protection equipment helped save the life of a worker who was cleaning the Washington state Capitol building in Olympia, after the platform he was using gave way.
| Aug 16, 2012
CSI webinar on August 21 focuses on electronic energy control
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is sponsoring a free webinar on August 21 at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on electronic energy control.
| Aug 16, 2012
Public sector pushes sustainable building forward
Not usually noted for its innovation, the public sector has done the most to advance sustainable building, according to a recent panel of green building professionals.
