ABSTRACT

Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas,

New Delhi, India

Of the total 1.25 million people dying in road traffic crashes annually, at least 30% are in urban areas (WHO 2013). This number is expected to increase with the increase in urbanization in Asia and Africa. The largest number of victims in road traffic crashes in urban areas are pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycle riders in most countries. Therefore urban traffic safety requires special focus on making the urban environment safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycle users. Most public transport users are also pedestrians, because access and egress trips of a public transport system are walking trips. This chapter presents a discussion of urban streets, and their functions, followed by important principles for making urban traffic safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transport users.