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
Legislation | Mar 31, 2022
Bill in Washington State would fund seismic retrofits in schools
A bill recently passed by the Washington State Senate could unleash hundreds of millions of dollars for school seismic retrofits over several years.
Legislation | Mar 30, 2022
Wisconsin legislators expand the scope of interior design in the state
Legislators in Wisconsin passed a bill, quickly signed into law by the governor, that codifies holistic interior design legislation and significantly expands the scope of interior design in the state.
Legislation | Mar 28, 2022
LEED Platinum office tower faces millions in fines due to New York’s Local Law 97
One Bryant Park, also known as the Bank of America Tower, in Manhattan faces an estimated $2.4 million in annual fines when New York City’s York’s Local Law 97 goes into effect.
Codes and Standards | Mar 24, 2022
New York senate moves to speed up fossil fuel ban in new buildings
Lawmakers in the New York State Senate are backing a proposal to ban fossil fuels in new building construction three years sooner than a plan proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Codes and Standards | Mar 23, 2022
High office vacancies have cities rethinking downtown zoning
As record-high office vacancies persist in U.S. urban areas, cities are rethinking zoning policy.
Codes and Standards | Mar 22, 2022
Dept. of Energy awards $32 million for next-generation building retrofits
The U.S. Dept. of Energy has awarded a total of $32 million for more than 30 next-generation building retrofit projects that will dramatically improve affordable housing technologies, according to a DOE news release.
Legislation | Mar 18, 2022
New framework to help site community solar projects released
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released a new report to aid policymakers in siting community solar projects.
Codes and Standards | Mar 17, 2022
Dept. of Energy seeks input on building-integrated photovoltaic systems
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Building Technologies Office (BTO) recently issued a request for information to gather input on technical and commercial challenges and opportunities for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems.
Legislation | Mar 16, 2022
Weak federal commercial real estate rules will hamper seizing Russian assets
Lax disclosure regulations that have made the U.S. a global hot spot for money laundering via real estate holdings will make it difficult for officials to seize properties from Russian oligarchs.
Codes and Standards | Mar 15, 2022
First company awarded Fitwel Certification in Senior Housing for Occupant Health & Wellness
The Springs at Greer Gardens in Eugene, Ore., is the first property to earn a Fitwel global health certification under the newly created senior housing scorecard.
