Rapid population growth and limited pedestrian infrastructure puts people walking at higher risk.
Memphis is the nation’s most dangerous city for pedestrians, according to a study from a Texas law firm. The Tennessee city has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities per capita, with 13.4 deaths per 100,000 people. “That’s a stark warning for anyone walking the streets of this Tennessee city,” writes Sarah Kennedy in Motor Biscuit.
Memphis has a walkability score of 35 — not the lowest of the cities analyzed. That distinction goes to Charlotte, North Carolina, with a walkability score of 26. Phoenix, a city with a walkability score of 41 that dedicates 16 percent of the city to parks and green spaces, has the highest raw number of pedestrian fatalities (117) or 7.1 deaths per 100,000. “It seems that even with plenty of green spaces, safety isn’t guaranteed. Sources cite a lack of infrastructure, like sidewalks or crosswalks, in high-traffic areas.”
In places like Phoenix and Charlotte, new pedestrian infrastructure has not kept up with rapid population growth that adds both foot and vehicle traffic to city streets.
Read the full story: The most dangerous city in the US for pedestrians isn’t even the least walkable
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