Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’
Pedestrian deaths dropped by 4.3 percent in 2024, reversing a troubling trend, but that number is still almost twice what it was in 2009.
As Matthew Sage reports in Streetsblog USA, preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows that 7,737 pedestrians were killed on roadways last year. “The rise in pedestrian fatality rates has been disproportionate to their motorized counterparts, increasing from around 12 percent in 2019 to now almost a fifth of all traffic-related deaths.”
Larger trucks and SUVs, which now make up 80 percent of U.S. vehicle sales, are killing more pedestrians, and hit-and-runs are increasing. “According to the GHSA, drivers flee the scene in about a quarter of pedestrian fatalities nationwide.”
The report recommends a comprehensive approach to improving road safety that includes safer infrastructure, education for road users, and improved enforcement and vehicle technology that focus on safety.
Read the full story: New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough
Hoboken's $20 Vision Zero fix
The New Jersey city eliminated traffic deaths for the last nine years in a row.
'Dangerous by Design' 2026 report highlights 72% increase in pedestrian deaths since 2009
Although US traffic deaths dropped in the last two years, the number of people killed on US roads remains much higher than two decades ago.
Pedestrian Deaths Fell by Largest Percentage in 15 Years, but Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
After a spike in deaths during the Covid-19 years, road deaths fell to 3,024 in the first half of 2025.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority