NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT FOR PEDESTRIANS AMERICA’S STREETS ARE “DEADLY BY DESIGN”
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 23, 2019)—An astonishing 6,000 pedestrians were struck and killed by vehicles in 2017, adding to a deadly decade in which 49,340 people were killed on the nation’s streets between 2008 and 2017. Compounding this national tragedy, victims are disproportionately from vulnerable groups, including people of color, those living in low-income communities, Native peoples, and the elderly.
 
Those are the findings of a new national study entitled Dangerous by Design 2019, issued by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition. The American Society of Landscape Architects is a founding member of the coalition and a long-time advocate for complete streets policies and practices that elevate pedestrian safety as a top priority.
 
Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, the executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects, welcomed the study, saying, “Too often, danger is built right into our nation’s streets, especially in communities with large elderly populations and people of color. Strong policies are needed that will allow landscape architects to continue to put good street design to work to reduce unnecessary risks and make sure our transportation systems equitably serve all Americans. As cities begin the process of rebuilding and reimagining our decaying urban infrastructure, pedestrian safety must be among our highest priorities.”
 
Somerville added that “The landscape architecture profession plans and designs streetscapes across the country and welcomes this opportunity to direct the attention of the public and policymakers to this deadly daily crisis. Landscape architects are devoted to improving the health, safety, and welfare of every community, and urge the creation of federal, state, and local policies that will correct the tragic inequities that are built into our nation’s aging road systems.”
 
Using the most recent federal data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the study generates a Pedestrian Danger Index that ranks each state and the 100 most populous metropolitan areas on how deadly they are for people on foot. It also reveals the degree to which vulnerable groups face disproportionate danger and higher risk of death and injury.
 
The study and the Pedestrian Danger Index results can be found here: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design.