Have you heard of the “Road Diet”?

The term “road diet” brings interesting images to mind. It made me think of summer vegetable stands, wild berry bushes and, of course, road-kill. It has nothing to do with any of these.

This diet is for roads. New road designs aim to thin car lanes to make more space for pedestrians and bicyclists in urban places.

Scout Cart’s Allison White joined Pro Walk, Pro Bike, Pro Place advocates in Pittsburgh, PA., in mid-September to learn about new construction of connected walkways and bicycle lanes for the growing number of people who get around towns and cities on foot or by bike.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx annouced a new initiative to make walking and biking safer by adding infrastruture and promoting safety through educational efforts. The hope is to reduce the recent rise in deaths and injuries among the growing number of Americans who bicycle or walk to work, school, the grocery store, and to evening activities.

Road diets have reportedly reduced accidents by 29 percent in urban areas and up to 47 percent in rural areas.