Streetsblog

Even SF transportation planners know: they can be pretty hard to understand. Listening in on a discussion about safer streets encrypted in countless acronyms and technical terms can often leave the layperson feeling pretty lost.

We are rolling right along with our spring pledge drive. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far — your donations will be converted into Streetsblog posts making the case for more livable streets and Streetfilms videos showing success stories and ideas from cities around the world.

Have you given to Streetsblog's spring pledge drive yet? If not, may we suggest that this is the week to do so. In addition to supporting livable streets journalism and putting yourself in the running to win a Dahon folding bike, you could take home a sweet collection of books and zines courtesy of eminent bike-ologist Elly Blue.

Thanks to everyone who's given to Streetsblog and Streetfilms so far in our spring pledge drive -- we're nearly a quarter of the way to our fundraising goal of $40,000. I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is for readers to chip in and help us reach our targets. Your contributions keep us going so we can deliver news and commentary about the transition to safer city streets that work for people, not cars. So keep those donations coming!

Think transit commuters are unwashed, uncouth bums? Subaru does. And the carmaker doesn't mind telling them so.

In the aftermath of a crash, we inevitably ask: How can a dangerous driver be kept off the road? It seems that the entire automobile transportation regime is aimed at keeping the driver behind the wheel. Absent impairment or flight from the scene of the crash, police quickly conclude that “no criminality is suspected.” The name of the responsible driver may be carefully guarded by police, even when the name of the victim or selective details are not. Government compels the insurance market to continue insuring the responsible driver, even if the market would consider the driver too risky to insure. The under-resourced legal system and insurance industry neglect and obstruct crash litigation, pressuring victims to simply accept whatever insurance is available without holding the driver personally responsible.

SF editor's note: Today we're sharing an edition of Streetsblog New York City's new "Street Justice" column that examines how the law, the courts, and the police affect street safety. Street Justice is written by Steve Vaccaro and Adam White, two attorneys who’ve been valuable sources for Streetsblog NYC over the years, adding an expert legal perspective to stories about cyclists and pedestrians injured in traffic. While many editions of the column will deal specifically with issues related to New York, we plan to syndicate the ones that deal with issues applicable in any city.

Sure, we know the movement for "sustainable" transportation and development is a front for Agenda 21, a.k.a. The UN Plot to End Private Property in the United States. But what to do?