FHWA has just published a new resource titled Accessible Shared Streets: Notable Practices and Considerations for Accommodating Pedestrians with Vision Disabilities.

This document captures the national state of the practice for accommodating pedestrians with vision disabilities on shared streets and helps State and local partners meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) obligations. The study process included engagement with the U.S. Access Board, State departments of transportation, National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and FHWA Division Offices and is a model for engaging people with disabilities in the planning process.

By Lane Triplett, Idaho Coalition for Motorcycle Safety

Since the use of highway crack sealant/filler first began, motorcyclists have lived in fear. Warm weather causes the substance used in this process to become pliant and slick. Due to the hazards of this slickness, and the general crooked ‘snake-like’ nature of filled cracks, motorcyclists have dubbed them “Tar Snakes”.  In even the slightest of corners, motorcycles can slide until their wheels make contact with pavement. This is, of course, an unnerving feeling for the rider.  In a hard cornering situation, the results can be devastating for the motorcyclist. When a motorcycle in a leaning stance in a corner contacts a tar snake, it starts to lose traction which causes the motorcycle to lean even closer to the pavement. After the motorcycle crosses the sealant and makes contact with pavement, the resulting traction gain tends to stand the motorcycle upright. The force of this action can flip a motorcycle instantly.

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American Traffic Safety Services Association has recently released the new Work Zone Safety app, developed under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Work Zone Safety Grant. (more…)