We talk with Dr. Shima Hamidi of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose research cuts into the core assumptions of the civil engineering profession in regard to traffic design.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 5, 2024podcast, safe and productive streets, narrow streets, safety, car crash

Public Health Experts Say Narrow Lanes Should Be the Default on City Streets

A recent public health study out of Johns Hopkins has found that narrow lanes reduce crashes on streets, and recommends that lanes as narrow as 9 feet wide be the default.

Reconstructing the Street? Move the Curb!

If your city is doing a street reconstruction project that involves replacing the curb, then don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a something majorly transformative…by simply moving the curb.

Marohn, Trending, Top StoryCharles MarohnSeptember 11, 2023safe and productive streets, maintenance, Street Design, narrow streets

Walkable? Check. Urban? Check. Rural? Also Check.

Compact development isn’t just for big cities. Some of the best walkable urbanism in the world is in the smallest towns. And embracing this is the key to enjoying the best of both worlds: urban and rural.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesFebruary 17, 2020small towns, walkability, rural, narrow streets, urbanism, europe

"Snow plows come in only one size: ginormous." Or do they?

Do we size our city for the equipment we want, or size our equipment for the city we need?

Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 29, 2020narrow streets, Fire Trucks, Fire Departments, streets, snow, stroad

The Cost of an Extra Foot

For a traffic engineer, to be conservative in your design is to spend extra money building capacity you don’t really need. The spiraling costs of this approach are enormous.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 6, 2020roads, narrow streets, engineers, minnesota

Lessons from the Streets of Tokyo

An urbanist abroad discovers that Tokyo faces many of the same challenges as U.S. cities — off-street parking, pedestrian safety, utilizing space, etc. — but is addressing them in very different ways.

Top StoryAndrew PriceOctober 1, 2019narrow streets, pedestrians, end parking mandates and subsidies, asia

Question of the Week: How Do I Convince My City to Remove a Car Lane for a Dedicated Bike Lane?

Every Friday, we spotlight an answer to one of your questions from the Strong Towns Knowledge Base.

Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 15, 2019Fire Departments, narrow streets

Question of the Week: How Can I Show My Fire Department That Their Operations Don't or Shouldn't Require Wide Lanes?

Every Friday, we spotlight an answer to one of your questions from the Strong Towns Knowledge Base.

Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 8, 2019Fire Departments, narrow streets

Forgiving Design vs. the Forgiveness of Slow Speeds

The “safety features” built into our modern streets are often downright dangerous. It's time to use the forgiveness of slow speeds instead of forgiving design.

Jon LarsenFebruary 6, 2018forgiving design, narrow streets

These resources will help you host a pop-up traffic calming demonstration in your town.

Get out there and start making your streets safer.

Top StoryMarielle BrownApril 11, 2017Street Design, narrow streets, resource, streets, Strong Citizenship

How Fire Chiefs and Traffic Engineers Make Places Less Safe

Of all the urbanism specialists with tunnel vision, fire chiefs, fire marshals, and traffic engineers are probably the most dangerous.

Top StorySteve MouzonApril 3, 2017Fire Trucks, Street Design, narrow streets, pedestrians

Narrow Streets Do More With Less

The recipe for a successful residential street is simple, timeless, and requires very little costly engineering.

HerrigesDaniel HerrigesJune 6, 2016Complete Streets, narrow streets, streets, florida

Navigating DC's Narrow Streets

When arguing for wider streets, many proponents point to bus or emergency vehicle access, insisting that a wide berth is necessary for large vehicles to pass through. In Washington, DC, I've seen firsthand how buses and ambulances have no problem navigating narrow streets.

Top StoryRachel QuednauOctober 30, 2015narrow streets, emergency vehicles, bus, washington dc

Narrow Roads Are Better Than Crosswalks

We can build all the crosswalk signs we want, but if the cars are driving too fast, those signs will still go unnoticed. Narrower streets are a natural, affordable and lasting solution to pedestrian crossing issues.

Rachel QuednauAugust 21, 2015Street Design, narrow streets, Crosswalk, walkability, pedestrians, wisconsin, road diet

Update on Chuck's Place

A little update on the storm that passed over Chuck's home last weekend. Thanks to everyone who checked in and sent well wishes.

PodcastStrong TownsJuly 20, 2015Neighborhood Design, narrow streets, home, housing, neighborhoods

Best of Blog: A Normal Life

When we mix high speed cars with stopping and turning traffic, it is only a matter of time until people get killed. It is statistically inevitable because we are all normal people living normal lives.

Charles MarohnDecember 18, 2014speed, narrow streets, traffic engineering, stroad, safety