Debate: Making Cities Safer for Cyclists and Pedestrians - An article in The Atlantic this month lamented the lax enforcement of traffic laws in New York City, even in cases in which a pedestrian or cyclist is killed. The author calls for a crackdown on traffic violations large and small, emulating the “broken windows” approach to suppressing crime in the 1990s.

The Four Debaters:
 
Taking Traffic Violations Seriously, by Tracey L. Meares, Yale Law School - In Miami, vehicular homicides outnumbered 'regular' homicides. The police chief found that unacceptable.
 
The Power of Being Pulled Over, by Tom Vanderbilt, author, "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do" - What often matters in reducing traffic violations is not punitive action per se, but simply the process of receiving a warning.
 
The Onus on Cyclists and Drivers, by David V. Herlihy, author, “Bicycle: The History” - In the 1890s, we had a preview of the risks of urban cycling. Now we have all that era's problems and more.
 
It Starts With Better Design, by Peter Calthorpe, architect and author - The answers are simple: create safe bike lanes, generous pedestrian spaces, protected crossings and narrow car lanes.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/02/27/reducing-traffic-fa...