Transportation for America has analyzed pedestrian safety data across the country to rank the most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrians and Seattle was ranked 46th out of 52.
The Seattle PI’s Traffic and Transportation News blog has a good writeup:
In a news release from Transportation for Washington, Mayor Mike McGinn credits the city’s pedestrian master plan and Complete Streets ordinance, which requires new roads be designed with bicyclists and pedestrians in mind. The city’s Bridging the Gap levy has helped pay for a number of improvements since it was passed in 2006. At the state level, the Legislature this year passed a “Vulnerable User’s” bill, which boosts penalties for negligent drivers who kill or maim bicyclists, pedestrians and other “vulnerable roadway users.”
Still, the report notes that 398 pedestrians were killed from 2000 to 2009 in Seattle’s Metro area.
While traffic deaths have dropped nationally by 27 percent over the last decade, pedestrian deaths have been reduced by less than half that. “Despite the magnitude of these avoidable tragedies, little public attention – and even less in public resources – has been committed to reducing pedestrian deaths and injuries in the United States,” according to the report. “On the contrary, transportation agencies typically prioritize speeding traffic over the safety of people on foot or other vulnerable road users.”
Transportation for America also has a searchable and interactive map of pedestrian fatalities.
