Change for Good Roads

Episode 7 - Intersections in Road Safety

Over the past 6 months you have heard from experts in the fields of sustainable cities, physical activity, accessibility, the environment, and multi-modal transportation, discussing how interconnected all these topics are to road safety. In this episode, we explored some of these intersectoral connections and the importance of collective action in creating safer urban roads. * Road can be reimagined for different purposes at different times of the day. This creative approach allows communities to use the space for non-traditional activities. For example, at the beginning and end of the school day, roads in front of schools are blocked off to traffic so kids have space to move safely as they arrive and leave school. * Roads are one of the largest public spaces cities have – any historically they have been narrowly assigned for vehicle use. * Initiatives that allow us to be creative, open the roads for multiple road users, and think about all ages and abilities makes for more vibrant and sustainable communities. Listen and subscribe to Change For Good Roads on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts! Want to learn more about why it’s crucial to improve road safety in Canada? Check out parachute.ca/VisionZero [http://parachute.ca/VisionZero] and sign up for our Vision Zero network to receive news and resources so you can lead Change for Good Roads.

Episode 6 - Global Perspective

In this episode we take a step back and explore the Global perspective on road safety as key components of healthy, active, and safe urban roads. There are a range of evidence-based frameworks and interventions that guide global efforts toward safer, healthier, and more sustainable roads. The Global Plan for the second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 was launched Oct. 28, 2021, by the World Health Organization. This Global Plan acts as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action, which has the ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030. These evidence-informed frameworks provide us with strategies for improved road safety, such as speed reduction measures, promotion of multi-modal transportation, urban planning methods and road design solutions. The implementation of this globally supported harm reduction framework is an important step toward achieving safer urban roads. * We know what works. There is a global movement focused on advocating for and implementing effective interventions that reduce death and injury from road crashes. * By 2030, the goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety is to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent. * Tools and resources are available for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), individuals, and governments that provide information on what changes are needed, how to make these changes, and how to track progress. Listen and subscribe to Change For Good Roads on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts! Want to learn more about why it’s crucial to improve road safety in Canada? Check out parachute.ca/VisionZero [http://parachute.ca/VisionZero] and sign up for our Vision Zero network to receive news and resources so you can lead Change for Good Roads.

Episode 5 - Multi-Modal Transportation

Today we are going to dig deeper and explore the importance of multi-modal transportation as a key component of healthy, active and safe urban roads. Multi-modal transportation is particularly interesting due to its shared goals and benefits not just for climate action, but also for public health, the local economy and, unsurprisingly, road safety. The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 promotes multi-modal transportation as an approach to make our roads safe. As advocates push for multi-modal transportation and there are increased numbers of pedestrians and cyclists on the road, it’s important to consider the implications these systems also have for the road safety of vulnerable road users. * Road safety, healthy active living, and climate change solutions have commonalities, meaning that if we positively impact one area, we are driving change for all areas. * Roads have been used by pedestrians far longer than cars and other motorized vehicles, but today multi-modal road users like pedestrians and cyclists are seen as a secondary priority. All road users have a right to be safe and use our roadways. * Getting out of your car to walk or bike allows for a more personal experience of your environment and the opportunity to meet and interact with people on the street. Listen and subscribe to Change For Good Roads on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts! Want to learn more about why it’s crucial to improve road safety in Canada? Check out parachute.ca/VisionZero [http://parachute.ca/VisionZero] and sign up for our Vision Zero network to receive news and resources so you can lead Change for Good Roads.

Episode 4 - Physical Activity

In this episode we explore the importance of active transportation, which contributes to physical, mental, and social well-being, and are key components of healthy, active, and safe urban roads. Improving road safety contributes to a “road safety dividend”, or a surplus of positive outcomes that contribute to global health and well-being. Road safety improves when we reduce motor vehicle traffic through strategies such as improved access to public transit, dedicated bike infrastructure, walkable and more connected neighbourhoods, and slower, more controlled traffic: all these provide other benefits to communities. What does this mean? Well, changing our urban built environments to support and encourage walking for transportation positively impacts physical activity, mental health, chronic disease, and injury. Increases in active transportation in urban communities can contribute to a reduction in air pollution which affect the overall health and well-being of communities. Greater walkability and active transport opportunities in urban areas can also improve economic development, with pedestrians having greater access to local businesses and enterprises. * There are ways to integrate physical activity into your day, and some of the easiest ways is to look at active transportation options to get to and from work, school, and play. * The physical environment you live and travel in can impact your ability to walk, cycle, or use public transportation. * Active transportation, the opportunity to get physical activity while moving from point A to point B, is important for physical and mental health, and social connectedness, but it’s also good for the environment. Safe spaces to walk and cycle increase people’s choices to use these options. ParticipACTION’s Dr. Leigh Vanderloo joints host Pamela Fuselli for an in-depth discussion. Listen and subscribe to Change For Good Roads on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts! Want to learn more about why it’s crucial to improve road safety in Canada? Check out parachute.ca/VisionZero [http://parachute.ca/VisionZero] and sign up for our Vision Zero network to receive news and resources so you can lead Change for Good Roads.

Episode 3 - Accessibility

On this episode we discuss the importance of mobility for all, and the accessibility of urban spaces as key components of healthy, active, and safe urban roads. While we recognize the complexity of this issue, changing the culture around how we design and use streets, roads, and other public spaces to be more accessible and inclusive to other road users beyond drivers will improve road safety. For urban roads to be truly accessible, they must be inclusive, safe, and usable for all. Traditionally, accessibility has referred to people with differing levels of mobility or disability, road safety experts emphasized that this must be extended to include gender, cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status, geographies, as well as a variety of other factors that can make road users vulnerable. In urban design and the built environment, collaboration with communities and facilitation of interest group involvement in planning and design should reduce systemic barriers to safe roads for everyone. * Accessibility is about more than physical barriers: we need to think also about how accessible our communities are based on gender, socio-economic status, age and more. * Poorly maintained roads and sidewalks in the winter months mean many people who do not drive cannot move in their communities: clearing of sidewalks and transit pick-up spots must become a higher priority. * Challenges on our roads have a disproportionate negative impact on vulnerable people in our communities. Director of the Center on Aging at the University of Manitoba and a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, Dr. Michelle Porter, joints host Pamela Fuselli for an in-depth discussion. Listen and subscribe to Change For Good Roads on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts! Want to learn more about why it’s crucial to improve road safety in Canada? Check out parachute.ca/VisionZero [http://parachute.ca/VisionZero] and sign up for our Vision Zero network to receive news and resources so you can lead Change for Good Roads.