Recently, Smart Growth America launched “Dangerous by Design” highlighting how pedestrian fatalities are up a staggering amount and reached another high in 2020 – a year with less overall driving due to the pandemic. More than 6,500 people were struck and killed while walking in 2020, an average of nearly 18 per day, and a 4.5 percent increase over 2019. If the projected fatalities from 2021 hold, it would be the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in 40 years, killing more people than 13 jumbo jets can hold. This report focuses on how our nation’s streets are dangerous by design.
One approach many communities are beginning to take is adopting Vision Zero policies pledging to work to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. These policies take a wholistic approach to reducing fatalities understanding that many factors contribute to safe mobility including roadway design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies.
A video I came across some time ago by Not Just Bikes called “Why City Design is Important” tells the harrowing story of American pedestrians well. He tells the story of his 800-meter (0.5 mile) walk in Houston, TX where he found himself navigating a glaringly obvious environment meant for cars and not humans. No sidewalks, sidewalks ending abruptly, traversing parking lots, signage scaled for cars not pedestrians, cars turning right on red lights, and narrow or no buffers. He felt so unsafe he hailed a ride for his trip back. 800 meters. The author highlights how many people outside of America assume Americans drive everywhere because we’re fat and lazy, but in reality, a bigger reason is that we have no choice.
When I saw this video, I was not surprised. I had a very similar experience in a previous apartment. I was hungry and decided to order some food from a restaurant 0.2 miles from my apartment – essentially right across the street. I thought no way do I need to drive there. I stepped outside of my apartment and crossed the parking lot to find a crumbling sidewalk that soon ended. I walked in the grass until I got to the stoplight guiding six lanes of traffic on Shawnee Mission Parkway. There was a pedestrian light I hit while standing on the curb waiting to cross with no painted crosswalk. Once I made it across, I was met with a frontage road I had to cross before hiking over the grass buffers to the restaurant parking lot. Then I had to do it all again while carrying my food and drink. This trip made me so frustrated, and it was not the first time I found myself inhibited by this environment. I also lived only a mile away from a grocery store – an easy bike ride! But with six lanes of “45” mph traffic and no bike lanes or sidewalks it was literally impossible.
There are many reasons our cities need to be designed for humans and not just motor vehicles.
Equity & Access
- People of color, particularly Native and Black Americans are more likely to die while walking than any other race.
- The Smart Growth America “Dangerous by Design” report points out that low-income and marginalized communities are significantly less likely to have access to parks and other opportunities for safe recreational walking and are less likely to have sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and street design to support safer, slower speeds. Decades of neglect and the Federal Aid Highway Act cutting through Black and brown communities exacerbate dangerous walking conditions.
- People who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices can face physical barriers and obstacles if sidewalks are poorly maintained or non-existent.
- Crumbling sidewalks and gaps in the sidewalk network can make it physically impossible or dangerous for those with mobility disabilities. Those in wheelchairs often have to plan an entirely different route to their destination checking if their destination has amenities to accommodate them. A professor of mine used to have his students pair up and navigate getting from campus to downtown in a wheelchair to experience the drastic difference in the routes we were used to taking.
- Some people rely on walking or biking due to the financial cost of buying and owning a car.
- Transportation costs are the second highest expense (only behind housing) for American households. In order to afford one, you need a good paying job. In order to get a job, you need a car to get to the job, or even perform the job. I was without a car for five months after an accident and without someone to drive me places I couldn’t go anywhere. I had to get a ride to and from work five days a week. I felt stuck, frustrated, and too dependent for my liking.
Health
- Physical health benefits
- It’s no secret that walking or biking is healthier than sitting in a car. Many of us spend most of our days stationary at a desk before heading home to relax on the couch for the evening. Walking is a great, low impact, no gym membership required, exercise to improve your health.
- Mental health benefits
- Physical health is linked to mental health. Endorphins released from physical activity boost your mood and reduce stress levels. Think of some of your “happy places” and what they have in common. What are your favorite cities to visit and how did you explore them?
The Climate Crisis
- Less car trips means less emissions.
- The transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions at 27%. Remember the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020? Transportation emissions in the US decreased by 13% that year. Cities around the world saw visibly improved air quality almost overnight benefiting respiratory health and the health of our planet. Designing our cities for more multimodal and zero emission transportation options is a huge step in mitigating climate change.
The way our cities are designed is a choice. Choices in zoning and regulations. Some might say that’s just how it is here in the US. But it wasn’t always this way, and it doesn’t need to stay this way. Before the automobile became so dominate, our cities were just as dense and walkable as those in Europe or Asia. I’ll leave you with a quote from the video mentioned above (please watch), our cities “weren’t designed for the car, they were bulldozed for the car.”