Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Anthony Foxx

Anthony Foxx Challenges Mayors to Protect Pedestrians and Cyclists

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx wants mayors to step up bike and pedestrian safety efforts. Photo: Building America's Future
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors yesterday. Photo: Building America's Future
false

With pedestrian and cyclist deaths accounting for a rising share of U.S. traffic fatalities and Congress not exactly raring to take action, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is issuing a direct challenge to America's mayors to improve street safety. Yesterday Foxx unveiled the "Mayor's Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets" at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Transportation Committee meeting in Washington.

Overall traffic deaths are on a downward trend in the U.S., but the reduction in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities is not keeping pace with improvements for car occupants. Pedestrians and bicyclists now account for 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S., and most of these deaths in urban areas, Foxx noted.

Back in September, Foxx told the Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike/Pro-Place conference in Pittsburgh that U.S. DOT is "putting together the most comprehensive, forward-leaning initiative U.S. DOT has ever put forward on bike/ped issues." The Mayor's Challenge fleshes out that initiative to some extent.

Foxx wants mayors to implement seven key recommendations from U.S. DOT. In March, mayors and local leaders will convene at DOT headquarters to discuss how to put the recommendations into practice. Participating cities will implement the strategies in the following year, with assistance from U.S. DOT.

U.S. DOT's recommendations urge a "complete streets" approach to design, better collection of data on walking and biking, and the incorporation of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure when cities resurface or rebuild streets.

In addition, U.S. DOT calls for "designs that are appropriate to the context of the street." The agency lists the NACTO Street Design Guide as a resource for designing streets "appropriate to the context." The NACTO manual includes guidelines for designs like protected bike lanes that are highly effective at improving safety but relatively new to American cities.

However, U.S. DOT makes no distinction between the NACTO guide and other engineering manuals that don't include such effective designs. The materials released so far don't exactly call out for a new generation of safer street designs.

Cities can join the challenge by filling out this form [PDF], or emailing pedbikesafety@dot.gov.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

City Council Vows To Override Mayor’s ‘Senseless’ Vetoes

Speaker Adrienne Adams vows to override the mayor's recent vetoes of two bills that would expand labor protections and minimum wage to grocery delivery workers using Instacart.

August 14, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Veto Oh No Edition

Mayor Adams has gone so far to the right in his quest to retain his office that he's not even listening to his own damn self. Plus other news.

August 14, 2025

Greenway Master Plan Shows the Way … For The Next Mayor

There's a master plan, now all we need is someone to do it!

August 14, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Ostrich Parent Edition

Bradley Tusk and Randy Mastro team up to distract people from the much-harder effort of making streets safe. Plus other news.

August 13, 2025

As Mayor Adams Preps Veto of Minimum Wage Bill, Instacart Boasts ‘Squeezing’ Its Workers

Instacart's months-long campaign against pay parity for grocery delivery workers appears to have borne fruit with a mayor who claims he supports workers.

August 12, 2025

UPDATE: Speeding Senior Driver Kills Self and Two Pedestrians in Astoria, Pols Call for 20 MPH Limit

The Queens crash is another reminder that speed kills — and that the city has the power to lower its speed limit.

August 12, 2025
See all posts