News
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Improved planning and design of bus priority systems can benefit 31 million people every day
The new Traffic Safety on Bus Priority Corridors report shows how safe, sustainable street design—like the pedestrian refuge island shown here in Juiz de Fora, Brazil—can sive lives on city streets. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
Washington, DC (January 14, 2015)—One of the primary challenges associated with rapid global urbanization is how to ensure the safety of city streets. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.2 million people die on the world’s roads each year, and traffic crashes could become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030 without intervention.
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Photo by Mariana Gil/WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities
Editor's note: Read this media advisory in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, or Turkish.
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Over 15,000 people participate in the city’s first sustained open streets movement
Mumbai’s inaugural Equal Streets event drew wide support, kicking off a citizen-driven movement that demands public spaces for people, not cars. Photo via Equal Streets/Facebook.
Editor's note: This post has been updated to include progress of the Equal Streets movement through the month of November.
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EMBARQ Brasil hosts four-day road safety training for technical experts in Rio de Janeiro
EMBARQ Brasil’s road safety training emphasized the importance of reducing vehicle speeds and designing complete streets, and gave participants the opportunity to work in Rio’s streets. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil.
Every year, about 1.24 million people lose their lives in traffic. In Brazil, there are over 44,000 traffic deaths annually. These fatalities exceed the death toll of many wars, motivating experts to seek effective solutions.
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The popular weekly car-free streets event – now in five Indian cities – was selected for its innovative approach in engaging communities
On September 21, 2014, Bhopal (pictured) became the fifth city in India to implement the weekly open streets movement, Raahgiri Day. Photo by Raahgiri Day, Bhopal/Facebook.
Raahgiri Day was selected as a distinguished finalist and received an honorable mention at the 2014 Parivartan Sustainability Leadership Awards. The awards were announced at the evening meeting of the Annual Summit of the Sustainable Business Leadership Forum on October 16, 2014 in New Delhi, India.
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Neighborhood Improvement Plan wins the Safer Roads, Safer India Challenge
The Hosur Sarjapur Road (HSR) Neighborhood Improvement Plan is being recognized for its engagement with citizens and ability to improve safety and quality of life. Photo by Frederik_Rowing/Flickr.
On September 24, 2014, Ashoka Changemakers and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced the Hosur Sarjapur Road (HSR) Neighborhood Improvement Plan as a winner of the “Safer Roads, Safer India: Game Changing Innovations that Save Lives” Challenge.
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EMBARQ and Bloomberg Philanthropies have worked together since 2010 to advance road safety and save lives in cities in Brazil, India, Mexico, and Turkey
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced today the continuation of its global road safety program, which supports partners like EMBARQ in making streets safer and saving lives. Photo by Ted Eytan/Flickr.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, the foundation of three-term New York City Mayor and current United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg, announced today a new phase of its Global Road Safety initiative. The initiative aims to reduce fatalities and injuries from road traffic crashes worldwide.
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Research team led by Nicolae Duduta sheds light on the impact of intersection design for pedestrian behavior and safety
Planners must better understand and account for pedestrian behavior to design safe, convenient intersections. Photo by Nicolae Duduta/EMBARQ.
For the second year in a row, EMBARQ researchers have won the Fred Burggraf award in recognition of excellence in transportation research by researchers 35 years of age or younger, awarded by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the United States National Research Council.
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Dr. Lee Schipper’s legacy continues to inspire three years after his passing
The Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for Sustainable Transport and Energy Efficiency is awarded annually to up to two extraordinary candidates to honor the legacy of Dr. Leon J. Schipper, pictured above, co-founder of EMBARQ. Photo by EMBARQ.
EMBARQ, the sustainable transport program of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and the Lee Schipper family are pleased to announce that young researchers Erik Vergel-Tovar and Madeline Brozen have been selected to receive the 2014 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will help both recipients contribute to the advancement of sustainable transport and urban mobility.
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City to develop urban mobility plan focused on mass transport, bicycling, and walking
Joinville, Brazil's urban mobility plan looks to improve quality of life through sustainable transport, leveraging funds from the federal government. Photo by Prefeitura Municipal de Joinville/Divulgação.
EMBARQ Brasil has partnered with Joinville – at 546,000 residents the most populous city in the southern state of Santa Catarina – to help craft the city’s strategy for people-oriented, sustainable mobility. Many of Joinville’s residents already rely on sustainable transport.