A Resident's Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking

Section Four: I need more information!

This section provides a listing of organizations and references that can help you find more in-depth information.

National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouses

Active Living by Design (ALBD)
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living by Design program has become a model for establishing community partnerships for active living. The ALBD Resource Center provides technical assistance to create active communities.
http://www.activelivingbydesign.org

National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW)
The National Center for Bicycling and Walking provides bicycle and pedestrian advocates and others with easy access to the information, training, tools, and experts they need to foster active living through community design.
http://www.bikewalk.org

National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS)
The National Center for Safe Routes to School aims to assist communities in developing successful Safe Routes programs and strategies. The Center offers information on how to start and sustain a Safe Routes to School program, case studies of successful programs, as well as many other resources.
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (funded by the U.S. DOT FHWA) provides comprehensive information on walking and bicycling issues, as well as resources for community members and professionals such as free webinars and information on how to find State and local support contacts and examples.
http://www.pedbikeinfo.org

National Coalitions and Alliances

AARP
AARP, which formerly stood for the American Association of Retired Persons, works to enhance the quality of life for individuals over age fifty, often through advocacy and resource development.
http://www.aarp.org/

Alliance for Biking and Walking
The Alliance for Biking and Walking is a national coalition of State and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. The group's mission is to create, strengthen and unite State and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations.
http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/

America Walks
America Walks is a national coalition of local advocacy groups dedicated to promoting walkable communities and helping communities form advocacy groups. America Walks provides a support network for local pedestrian advocacy groups. The group offers advice about how to get started and how to be effective with public officials and engineering and design professionals.
http://www.americawalks.org/

EveryBodyWalk
This national campaign works to promote health by getting more Americans walking, and provides tools and resources to increase walking and make improvements to communities.
http://www.everybodywalk.org/

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25®
In most towns and cities throughout the U.S., the residential speed limit is 25 mph. A nonprofit organization founded in the summer of 1998, the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25® is a safety campaign targeting observance of the residential speed limit. The campaign goal is to unite neighborhoods and communities throughout the U.S. with a consistent message about safe driving.
http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/

League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists is a national organization devoted to improving conditions for bicyclists through advocacy, promotion, and information dissemination. Their website also provides information on how to find local chapters, rides, and other resources.
http://www.bikeleague.org/

National Complete Streets Coalition
The National Complete Streets Coalition works to promote the adoption and implementation of Complete Streets policies – those that address the needs of all road users in transportation decisions – at the local, State, and federal levels. Their website has information on model Complete Streets policies and resources for implementing such policies across the U.S.
www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets/

Project for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces utilizes education and outreach strategies to enhance public spaces and communities through planning and design improvements.
http://www.pps.org/

Safe Communities America
Safe Communities America, a project of NHTSA, is a national organization dedicated to creating local community coalitions to prevent motor vehicle injuries, the leading cause of death for each age group from five through 27. To find out if there is a Safe Communities Coalition in your community, contact your State Office of Traffic Safety.
http://bit.ly/1uKg48d

Safe Kids
By working at a national level through grassroots community coalitions, Safe Kids, a campaign that aims to prevent the number one killer of children – unintentional injury – educates adults and children alike, provides safety devices to families in need, works to pass and strengthen laws to empower families and communities, and to protect children ages 14 and under.
http://www.usa.safekids.org/

Safe Routes to School National Partnership
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership works to expand opportunities for safe and active transportation for children through its network of advocates, policy makers, and transportation professionals.
http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/

National Transportation Agencies

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Pedestrian and Bicycle Program
The FHWA is charged with administering federal funds for transportation improvements, and providing technical assistance to localities implementing pedestrian and bicycle projects and programs. Three Offices in FHWA address pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The Office of Safety and the Office of Safety Research work together to develop tools and technologies to reduce the number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed and injured on our nation's roadways. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Program of FHWA's Office of Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty promotes bicycle and pedestrian transportation accessibility, use, and safety. The FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Program issues guidance and is responsible for overseeing that requirements in legislation are understood and met by the States and other implementing agencies.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/
http://1.usa.gov/1xZsuLJ
http://1.usa.gov/1iMSL9j

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. The agency collects and publishes State and national crash data, including data on pedestrian and bicycle crashes. NHTSA administers funding to support programs developed and implemented by State traffic safety offices. They also distribute to the general public free educational information and publications focused on many areas of traffic safety, including bicycling, walking, and driving. NHTSA usually communicates through the traffic safety offices rather than directly with neighborhood residents.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Pedestrians
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Bicycles

Resources and Research

General resources

Bicycle Friendly America
The Bicycle Friendly Communities program recognizes communities, businesses, and universities that are promoting bicycling through engineering, planning, education, and other programs.
http://bikeleague.org/bfa

Walk Friendly Communities
This national program recognizes communities in the U.S. that are leading the way in providing safe, accessible transportation networks for pedestrians.
http://www.walkfriendly.org/

Trends, problem reporting, and making the case

Alliance for Biking and Walking Benchmarking Reports
This report, updated every two years, provides an in-depth look at the state of bicycling and walking in the U.S. by examining trends in safety, mode share, policy, and funding.
http://bit.ly/1t7NgHU

SeeClickFix
This interactive web tool allows citizens to report problem locations for bicycling and walking to municipalities responsible for making improvements. Cities and towns can also respond to complaints and respond when problems have been fixed.
http://seeclickfix.com/

Child and school issues

ChangeLab Solutions' Safe Routes to School District Policy Workbook
This workbook can help school officials, parents, teachers, and administrators support active transportation to and from school through policy development and implementation.
http://changelabsolutions.org/safe-routes/welcome

Pedestrian Safer Journey and Bicycle Safer Journey
These interactive web resources provide educational materials to help parents and teachers share important pedestrian and bicycle safety skills with children age 5-18.
http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pedsaferjourney/
http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/bicyclesaferjourney/

Walk and Bike to School Day
This website provides resources for teachers, students and community members interested in holding events to celebrate Walk to School Day and Bike to School day.
http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/

Spanish language resources

FHWA Hispanic Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
This website includes links to research, materials to convey safety messages to Hispanics, and a marketing plan for communicating issues related to Hispanic pedestrian safety.
http://1.usa.gov/1uwmrcZ

National Center for Safe Routes to School Spanish Resources
A collection of SRTS safety tip sheets and talking points, walkability checklist, helmet-fitting guide, and other resources developed for Spanish speakers.
http://bit.ly/1qHMxxD

NHTSA Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety among Hispanics
This collection of pedestrian and bicycle safety print materials and radio ads was developed specifically for Spanish speaking audiences.
http://1.usa.gov/1qHMzWb

NHTSA Walk and Bike Safely Curriculum
This curriculum is designed specifically for use by teachers and volunteers working with adult immigrants who are beginning English language learners.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/ESL

Pedestrian Safety Tips for Parents and Children
A useful Spanish-language tip-sheet for caregivers, developed by the National Center for Safe Routes to School.
http://bit.ly/1yzlHL0

Spanish Language Webinars
This two-part Spanish language webinar series provides important information and resources for planning for child pedestrian safety.
http://www.rsa.unc.edu/webinars.cfm

Planning, design, and engineering issues

A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety
This guide addresses common maintenance issues that impact pedestrian safety and mobility such as snow removal, sidewalk repair, and drainage.
http://1.usa.gov/1kaUyqB

BIKESAFE: Bicycle Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System
BIKESAFE is intended to provide practitioners with the latest information available for improving the safety and mobility of those who bicycle.
http://www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE/

A Guide to Transportation Decision Making
This guide provides information on how transportation decisions are made at the local, State, and national levels.
http://1.usa.gov/1AtnJfJ

Proven Safety Countermeasures
This FHWA website highlights countermeasures have demonstrated safety benefits shown through research, and also includes helpful links to case studies and design resources.
http://1.usa.gov/1HvhEBv

How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
This is a comprehensive guide to provide a framework for State and local agencies to develop and implement a pedestrian safety action plan tailored to their specific problems and needs.
http://bit.ly/11KSezy

NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
This interactive design guide highlights design improvements that can improve pedestrian, bicycle, transit and motor vehicle safety and mobility, along with case studies from communities around the U.S.
http://nacto.org/usdg

NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
This comprehensive design guide focuses on countermeasures that can improve safety and comfort for bicyclists, including some of the more innovative treatments found in the U.S. and abroad.
http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/

PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System
PEDSAFE provides practitioners with a list of possible engineering, education, or enforcement treatments to improve pedestrian safety and/or mobility based on user input about a specific location.
http://www.pedbikesafe.org/PEDSAFE/

StreetMix
Street Mix allows advocates, community members, and professionals to reimagine their streets as more walkable, bikeable places by offering visualization tools to support a variety of roadway cross-sections and user needs.
http://www.streetmix.net

TrafficCalming.org
This comprehensive website provides information about traffic calming devices that can be used to reduce speeds, improve safety, and enhance communities.
http://trafficcalming.org/

Road Diets
This FHWA website highlights research, resources and case studies about lane reduction, or road diet, projects.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/road_diets/

Walkability 101: The Walkability Workbook
This web resource provides information about organizing community walkability workshops, audits, and field reviews.
http://bit.ly/1xWf8yC

Pedestrian Safety Guide for Transit Agencies
This FHWA guide provides transit agencies with an understanding of pedestrian safety issues and information about how safety and accessibility can be improved through transit stop improvements, operations improvements, and policy changes.
http://1.usa.gov/1xK8WML

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities
This report from the ITE provides a comprehensive look at applying Context Sensitive Solutions in roadway improvement projects.
http://www.ite.org/bookstore/RP036.pdf

Bicycle Parking Guidelines
This resource from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals provides guidance for communities in planning for, improving, and maintaining bicycle parking facilities.
http://www.apbp.org/?page=publications

Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Audit Guidelines and Prompt Lists
These FHWA resources provide transportation professionals, community members, policy makers and others with the tools they need to perform field reviews to identify safety issues for pedestrians and bicyclists.
http://1.usa.gov/1F8Ycqe
http://1.usa.gov/1xyP65L

Safety Effects of Marked Versus Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations
This FHWA study examines the relationship between crosswalks, both marked and unmarked, and other roadway factors such as number of lanes, vehicle speeds, and traffic volumes, leading to recommendations for crosswalk placement and design.
http://1.usa.gov/1xWfh5d

Pedestrian Safety on Rural Highways
This report explores pedestrian safety issues and concerns along rural highways and identifies solutions to these problems.
http://bit.ly/14XJ6ZI

Web-based training and videos

Taking Action to Make Your Neighborhood Safe and Walkable
This interactive web-training provides community members with information about safety issues, strategies for community organization and tips for communicating with transportation officials.
http://www.rsa.unc.edu/ped_safety/

Pedestrian Safety Workshop: A Focus on Older Adults
This website provides information about a short workshop covering safety issues for older adults, and also provides tools and resources to help individuals share the training in their own communities.
http://www.rsa.unc.edu/psw/

Enforcing Laws for Bicyclists: NHTSA Law Enforcement Roll Call Video
This video highlights common safety problems for bicyclists and provides law enforcement professionals with the information they need to identify these problems and enforce laws to improve safety for bicyclists.
http://1.usa.gov/1ujCLwf

Streetfilms
This website catalogs short promotional and educational films on a variety of topics related to transportation issues, specifically bicycling, walking, and transit.
http://www.streetfilms.org/