U.S. Builds Roads That Kill Pedestrians

A new report from Transportation for America says that more than half of pedestrian fatalities happen on arterial roads that lack ped-friendly design - and therefore are preventable.

May 24, 2011, 2pm PDT | Tim Halbur

Car accidents have killed 47,700 pedestrians and injured 688,000 in the last decade, according to a new report from Transportation for America.

"The majority of deaths occur on roadways that encourage speeding but do not provide the sidewalks, crosswalks, signals and other protections for people who are walking," says the press release from T4America. "Most of these roads were built using federal transportation funds. The report comes as the federal transportation bill is being debated in Washington DC and calls to eliminate programs that can promote safer, more walkable streets have increased."

Tanya Snyder of Streetsblog observes:

"Does the disproportionate vulnerability of senior citizens explain Florida's abysmal rankings on pedestrian safety?"

Thanks to Tanya Snyder

Full Story:

Dangerous By Design: How the U.S. Builds Roads That Kill Pedestrians

Published on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 in Streetsblog Capitol Hill