"The research was inspired by a stalled Berkeley project for a protected cycle track that failed to gain fire department approval. Lamb and his team began investigating whether similar conflicts were occurring elsewhere - and found they were. Despite rising traffic fatalities, some fire departments have resisted safer street designs, often citing access or width requirements. Lamb emphasized that fire departments are not monolithic: chiefs, marshals, unions, and rank-and-file firefighters often have different priorities."
"Lamb also highlighted Berkeley firefighter Mike Wilson's call to extend the fire service's legacy of prevention-once focused on reducing structure fires-to traffic safety. Berkeley's new Street Trauma Prevention Program embodies that shift, positioning fire departments as proactive partners in crash prevention rather than reactive responders. For more on Wilson's experiences, check out this article from Streetsblog USA. "Designing safe infrastructure is the easy part," Lamb said. "Changing culture is the real challenge.""
Research examined conflicts between fire departments and street redesign efforts that add bike lanes, bulb-outs, and other safety features. A stalled Berkeley protected cycle track project prompted investigation revealing similar resistance elsewhere. Some fire departments cite access and width requirements to oppose designs despite rising traffic fatalities. Fire organizations are internally divided among chiefs, marshals, unions, and rank-and-file firefighters with differing priorities. Cost of living and distant commutes influence firefighters' stances, especially in California. Strong mayoral leadership in cities like Nashville can align fire and planning departments behind multimodal safety. Berkeley's Street Trauma Prevention Program reframes fire services toward proactive crash prevention, requiring cultural change.
Read at Streetsblog
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