We have a new administration in Washington and U.S. DOT has been staffed up with some really exciting and progressive leaders from the industry.
We have a huge opportunity right now to reshape U.S. transportation in a way that will benefit the environment, will benefit safety and will benefit equity for generations to come.
3MPH is very excited to be working with two national clients on important federal policy campaigns. For those who have attended book lectures over the past year — these are a real opportunity for regular folks to get engaged in the kind of lasting reforms that I called for in my book Right of Way.
First up: #ZeroTrafficDeaths
We are working with the Road to Zero Coalition, Vision Zero Network, and Families for Safe Streets on a campaign calling on the Biden Administration to make a commitment to zero traffic deaths by 2050. We’re publishing editorials across a wide range of outlets, from the Washington Post, to the Fresno Bee, to here’s something I wrote about how zero traffic deaths is possible for Planetizen.
How you can help: You can sign our letter as an individual or an organization and share it with your networks. We need all the support we can get!
MUTCD Reform!
If you’ve been in safe streets advocacy for a while, you’ve no doubt come across the MUTCD — and you (likely) hate it! (Me too, me too.)
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices — for the uninitiated — is an obscure technical manual that dictates, to a big degree, the design of every street in the United States. Unfortunately, this document reflects many of the problematic biases we see in traffic engineering overall — especially prioritizing the speed of drivers over the safety of those on foot (or bike or wheelchair).
For example, on controlled crosswalks (crosswalks with traffic lights) the manual requires almost 100 pedestrians be crossing at a location *per hour* before it says a crosswalk is “warranted.” (This is a location, keep in mind without a controlled crosswalk.) Failing that, the MUTCD says, a crosswalk can be installed if 5 pedestrians are struck at the location in a single year (!!). I wrote about this in my book.
Anyway, the manual is up for review right now for the first time in a decade. The work began under the Trump Administration. And the new document is very similar, disappointing to groups like the National Association of City Transportation Officials. That group a bunch of others — the League of American Bicyclists, America Walks (who I am working with) — are asking the Biden Administration to overhaul the document pretty dramatically. If they do, it could lead to safer conditions across the country.
You can help! This form letter from America Walks can be easily personalized and submitted directly to the federal agency responsible for this document.
Thanks to everyone who has supported us as we have embarked into this journey of entrepreneurship. The goal was always to advance safety, equity and sustainability and we’re so excited to be engaged in two great projects that have the potential to have a real impact!
