Almost 40,000 folks had been killed on America’s roads in 2024, together with over 7,000 struck and killed whereas strolling. Whereas the variety of pedestrian fatalities has declined barely from a 40-year excessive a number of years in the past, there may be a lot extra we are able to do to enhance street security in our communities.
Throughout a current webinar, Heidi Simon, Director of Thriving Communities at Good Development America (SGA) and Colin Alexander, Program Supervisor for the Birmingham Division of Transportation, joined America Walks’ Coverage Director Ben Crowther to debate how we are able to obtain long-term methods adjustments for street security by means of near-term wins on the federal, state, and native ranges.
Pedestrian and Highway Security: A Nationwide Problem
Framing the dialog with a nationwide strategy to site visitors security, Heidi Simon launched SGA’s landmark 2026 Harmful By Design report, which seems to be at pedestrian fatality charges utilizing 2024 knowledge throughout the U.S. Though 2024 noticed a modest lower within the variety of folks struck and killed whereas strolling from the final two years, general fatalities have elevated by 72% since 2009.
The highest deadliest states and metro areas are situated in geographical areas with fewer secure locations for strolling. Memphis, Tennessee, for instance, continues to carry the highest pedestrian fatality price amongst metropolitan areas and is seeing elevated and extra frequent fatalities. 19 of the 20 most harmful states for pedestrians made no progress from the final report launched. And even Delaware, which diminished pedestrian fatalities greater than some other state, remains to be the tenth most threatening.
“The established order isn’t working,” mentioned Heidi. “We’d like one thing completely different with regards to federal transportation coverage.”
States have the ability to considerably cut back pedestrian fatalities by altering the methods our streets are designed by means of insurance policies and artistic funding sources. Additionally they can associate with native communities to seek out place-based options that work for everybody.
We are able to look to our international friends for inspiration, too. Harmful By Design discovered that, in comparison with 34 peer nations—most of which made strides in street security—the pedestrian fatality price within the U.S. elevated by 45% in 2024.
Lastly, we all know what works for constructing safer, extra walkable streets and communities. These interventions save lives and make our communities safer, extra fulfilling locations to stroll, roll, and bike.
Considering Creatively: Birmingham, Alabama’s Journey to Safer Multi-Modality
For a deep dive into place-based approaches to site visitors and pedestrian security, Colin Alexander joined from Birmingham, Alabama, a late-Nineteenth-century metal city constructed on a walkable city core. The mid-Twentieth-century, nevertheless, noticed the elimination of town’s in depth streetcar community, with cash going to construct roadways. The town additionally created a Division of Site visitors Engineering round that point to maneuver as many vehicles as quick as attainable. All of which resulted in Birmingham being among the many nation’s main metropolitan areas in pedestrian-vehicle incidents.
However Birmingham has been making strides in laying the groundwork for safer multi-modality. In 2015, town’s complete plan recognized transportation insurance policies Birmingham ought to undertake, and, in 2017, the incoming mayor reorganized the Division of Site visitors Engineering as a Division of Transportation (BDOT). BDOT hit the bottom operating, galvanizing a sturdy group of supporters to paved the way for adoption of a 2018 full streets ordinance. By 2024, Birmingham grew to become the primary metropolis within the Deep South to remove parking minimums in zoning codes.
The town’s full streets focus permits BDOT to deal with enhancements with each transportation capital challenge it develops. As an illustration, BDOT has added 20 miles of motorbike lanes since 2018. The town has prioritized the next areas:
Site visitors Calming: Till 2020, Birmingham routinely denied traffic-calming requests. In 2020, BDOT launched a traffic-calming program that was immensely common. Since then, about 100 streets have undergone street-calming methods, and BDOT makes use of a grassroots and technical joint-partnership mannequin that features coordinating on design options and splitting prices with neighborhoods.
Two-Method Highway Conversions: Within the Nineteen Seventies, one-way roads changed two-way roads in Birmingham’s downtown grid to funnel site visitors to the interstate system. One-way roads are considerably extra harmful, and town has undertaken conversions to scale back the frequency and severity of crashes, cut back speeds, and cut back crime.
Intersection Design: Birmingham commonly works security components, like sidewalk extensions, radii tightening, roundabouts, full community redesigns, and updating site visitors indicators into routine tasks.
Colin shared the case of 56th Avenue, which connects two neighborhoods bisected by a state freeway—and has little or no walkability, regardless of the group calling for traffic-calming measures and sidewalks. On Halloween of 2023, a rushing driver struck a baby at an intersection. The kid survived however continues to have well being issues. Consequently, town responded with a short lived traffic-calming measure, leveraging American Rescue Plan Act funds to construct a sidewalk and broaden the scope of that challenge to completely redesign the intersection.
Colin supplied some classes that can assist you systematically advance walkability and site visitors security in your group:
Leverage federal cash from the U.S. Division of Transportation (together with the Transportation Alternate options Program (TAP), Protected Streets for All (SS4A), and funds allotted to Municipal Planning Organizations
Use interstate funding to make enhancements the place highways tie into the native street community (ex: make interstate off-ramps safer)
Search for non-traditional federal funding sources, in addition to native, state, and philanthropic sources to advance your group’s targets
Be artistic! For instance, discover methods to tighten flip radii with concrete and fixing sidewalks whereas repaving roads
Don’t underestimate the significance of native coverage enhancements
Versatile Options & Storytelling for Change
Through the Q&A session, Heidi and Colin joined Ben in a dialogue on matters such because the position of lower-lift interventions versus capital-intensive avenue redesign tasks.
Whereas issues like paint and flex posts can enhance consciousness for bicyclists, Heidi helpfully reminded us that “paint shouldn’t be safety. Initiatives that create devoted, protected street area can take 5, ten, fifteen years” to make occur—and we don’t have that type of time. She and Colin supported embracing flexibility by means of stop-gap measures, pilot tasks, and quick-builds to start out the method and transfer shortly.
“It’s a step ahead, not a one-and-done measure,” mentioned Colin, “And it units the stage for us to go after and implement tougher limitations” to guard bicyclists and pedestrians. These small enhancements additionally talk to residents that their metropolis cares concerning the subject and is keen to become involved.
In the case of addressing pushback from group members and native businesses, Colin emphasised the usage of knowledge to make the case for shared values like improved public security, well being outcomes, and financial exercise.
Nevertheless, knowledge doesn’t inform the complete story. “Tales matter,” mentioned Heidi. Each she and Colin inspired combining knowledge with tales from communities to extend affect and produce a broader coalition of native supporters to the desk to make a distinction.
Extra Sources
This publication was made attainable by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) (Contract #47QRAA20D003W). Its contents are solely the duty of the authors and don’t essentially signify the official views of CDC. These efforts are a part of the CDC’s Energetic Individuals, Wholesome NationSM Initiative that’s working to assist 27 million Individuals develop into extra bodily lively by 2027.
