December 2020
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Greetings!
2020 has been a struggle for so many. Now more than ever though, we need places where we may safely walk for our mental health, our physical health, and as a way to continue connecting safely with the places, people, and communities that we love.

Thanks to your support for making our communities great places to walk, more and more local and state officials now recognize that safety must be the top transportation priority.  

With your continued help in the year ahead, PEDS will prompt officials who say they want walkable communities to back their promises with funding and action.

The PEDS Board of Directors and staff wish you a very healthy, safe, and happy holiday. We will be reaching out again in January to update you on the results of our internal re-organization with our goal of strengthening and amplifying our mission, impact, and reach.
Atlanta Drafts Tactical Urbanism Guide

The newly formed Atlanta DOT recently created the Atlanta Tactical Urbanism Guide, a resource for local communities and organizations to gain approval for quick-build projects that can improve the safety and accessibility of our streets and public spaces.

The guide includes an overview of tactical urbanism with example projects, as well as design standards for neighborhoods to implement six project types: crosswalk art, curb extensions, parklets, traffic signal box art, slow streets, and walk lanes. 

The guide also provides a materials palette for inspiration and visual consistency, and a list of required documents to submit for approval. While the list of eligible project types is limited given the need for a wide variety of safety enhancements, PEDS will continue to work with the ATLDOT and our partners to provide feedback on the guide and to ensure that successful popups lead to long-term projects.
USDOT Releases Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have produced a federal-level strategy to address the growing epidemic of pedestrian safety crashes.

According to NHTSA, 17% of all traffic deaths in 2019 were pedestrians, representing an increase of 44% from 2010. Even with lower overall vehicle traffic due to the pandemic, pedestrian crash numbers are projected to be similar in 2020.
In recent years, PEDS has delivered dozens of pedestrian safety and design trainings to GDOT officials and engineers through a partnership with FHWA.

We are continuing this effort with trainings planned for GDOT Districts 4 & 5 in February 2021.

The newly released USDOT action plan provides additional tools for PEDS and GDOT to actively tackle pedestrian safety statewide and improve the effectiveness of these trainings.
Your gifts help make safe sidewalks and crossings a reality.