Streets are different than highways, yet the United States delegates authority for all roadway design to a private nonprofit made up largely of highway engineers. And unfortunately, many of the principles that make for safe highways make for dangerous, dysfunctional urban streets.
A new manual released this fall, the , could change all this. The group behind the guide, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), formed in 1996 to provide an urban perspective on street design, helping create both safer urban streets and streets that support vibrant neighborhoods.
The guide is a blueprint for designing 21st-century streets where people can walk, bike, drive, park, take transit and socialize. Divided into six chapters, it focuses on types of streets (two-way, one-way, downtown, neighborhood, etc.); street design elements including lane widths, sidewalks and curb extensions; interim des