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.
Smart Growth America released its 2026 Dangerous by Design report, which assesses the state of road safety in the United States.
According to the report, "The 72 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities in the 15 years from 2009 to 2024 outpaces both the growth in population and vehicle miles traveled. While pedestrian deaths have in fact decreased slightly for two straight years (2022 to 2024), 2024’s total is higher than every year on record since 1982, other than the modern-day historic highs experienced from 2021 to 2023."
The report notes that framing the recent decrease in deaths as positive obscures the high number of fatalities. "We should not be celebrating a modest 3.9 percent decrease from 2023-24, considering that we are still nowhere close to 2019 levels when 6,200 total deaths of people walking led to headlines bemoaning this historic high."
The report adds that the most dangerous regions are becoming even more deadly, with the highest pedestrian fatality rates reaching 5.5 as opposed to 3.52 in 2009.
FULL STORY: Dangerous by Design
Hoboken's $20 Vision Zero fix
The New Jersey city eliminated traffic deaths for the last nine years in a row.
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.
Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009
Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association