WEEKLY WALK AROUND THE NEWS

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Posted by Zoe Harris and Drew DeVitis

 

Local

 

Over 200 Kenmore residents attended the Kenmore City Council meeting this week to share their concern about road safety after two crosswalk fatalities occurred within one week.parklets2014map1

 

A memorial walk in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood remembered Dennis and Judy Schulte who were killed a year ago by a drunk driver. March 25th through 28th is Safe Roads Awareness Week.

 

The Seattle Department of Transportation has selected ten new parklet hosts to participate in the 2014 extension of the Pilot Parklet Program.

 

Feet First’s Ethan Bergerson explains why Seattle needs to fully fund the proposed pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting North Seattle College to the future Northgate Link light-rail station.

 

National

 

The new USDOT safety performance measure rule overlooks the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. Submit official comments to encourage USDOT to amend the rule.

 

Eleven billboards throughout San Francisco show people texting in traffic. Graphic designer Brian Singer came up with this new campaign to raise awareness of this risky behavior.

 

New York City residents take a DIY approach to road safety with a citizen campaign to bring speed limits on residential streets down from 30 mph to 20 mph.

 

Phoenix aims for slower, more pedestrian-friendly downtown streets. The city would like to revitalize the area and encourage people to spend time downtown instead of just getting in and out quickly

 

International

 

Five Philippine cities are blocking off major roads for bikers and pedestrians this week in support of the movement to promote sustainable mass transport systems in the country.

 

The European Commission honored the Spanish municipality of Rivas-Vaciamadrid with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Award for 2013.

 

Canadian Pierre Paul Cayer, who walked across his native country from Vancouver to St John’s, Newfoundland, and from the tip of North America at the Arctic Ocean down to the tip of South America at Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, has begun a journey to walk throughout Europe.

 

If you come across any interesting pedestrian news or stories, please send a link to zoe@feetfirst.org.

 

Photos courtesy of the Seattle Department of Transportation and @Gizmodo/Twitter

 

 

 

 

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