File Under: Only in America

Sean Roche of the Newton Streets and Sidewalks blog sends along this sad, bizarre, disturbing item:

A Tennessee dad named Larry Price set up a charity after his son suffered and survived a severe head injury in a
bicycling accident. The charity, Cars for Kids, held a legal street drag race in Selmer Tennessee.
During a "burnout" by a professional drag racer, a car went out of control into
the crowd, killing six and injuring 18. ABC News has a report.

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Celebrating Livable Streets on the Day of the Dead

By Aaron Naparstek |
It occurs to Sean Roche of Newton Streets & Sidewalks that Halloween is, in a funny way, "America’s walking holiday," with kids, parents and just about everyone heading out for an early evening stroll, chance run-ins with friends and neighbors, and no need to pull the car out of its parking spot. Happy Halloween, indeed. […]

A Streetsblog Reader Wins Traffic Calming Improvements

By Aaron Naparstek |
Here is a contribution from Sean Roche, a Streetsblog reader in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb just west of Boston. I wanted to share my own small traffic calming victory with you. The other night the City of Newton Facilities/Public Safety Committee authorized and funded a redesign of the intersection at the end of my road. In the […]

Effective Traffic Calming Device: The Frisbee

By Jason Varone |
From Sean Roche at the Newton Streets and Sidewalks blog: Want to slow traffic? Throw a frisbee across the street. That’s what six-year-old son of NS&S and I learned on Sunday. Please note that we did not throw the frisbee in front of traffic. We stopped throwing as soon as any car approached. But, our […]

Report: Tame Traffic, and More People Will Choose to Walk and Bike

By Noah Kazis |
Research shows that more traffic means fewer cyclists. Photo by jaygoldman via Flickr. It may seem obvious that speeding traffic discourages walking and biking. But the evidence is scarce and scattered. A new paper by Peter Jacobsen, Francesca Racioppi and Harry Rutter aims to improve the understanding of how traffic affects cyclist and pedestrian behavior […]

This Week: Plan a Safer 155th Street in Upper Manhattan

By Streetsblog |
This week in livable streets events: help improve safety at an intersection in Upper Manhattan, continue the fight for better G train service, talk bicycling and Brooklyn, or join in at Weekend Walks and Summer Streets events in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Tuesday: Join DOT for a discussion of traffic safety improvements in the area around […]