Twin Cities Ranked 1st in Nation for Preventing Pedestrian Deaths, but Region is Still No Walk in the Park, Report Shows

From Katie Eukel, Acting Communications Manager

The Twin Cities fared best among 52 of the largest U.S. metro areas for pedestrian fatalities, a new report shows. While this offers evidence that investment in trails, sidewalks, dedicated bike/pedestrian bridges and other infrastructure is making the region a safer and more inviting place for walking, the number of fatalities and accidents is still unacceptable and measures need to be taken to further improve safety and health.

The report, Dangerous by Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths (and Making Great Neighborhoods), ranks America’s major metropolitan areas and states according to a Pedestrian Danger Index that assesses how dangerous they are for walking. Dangerous by Design, released by Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, calculated a Pedestrian Danger Index of 22 for the Twin Cities region over a two-year period, lower than the average index of 77.5 calculated for the 52 large regions included in the study. The report also shows that the Twin Cities region spent a higher percentage of its federal transportation funding on bicycle and pedestrian projects than most of the other regions featured in the report — although still less than five percent.

Despite this good news, 35 Twin Cities pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2007-2008 (8 percent of motor vehicle fatalities in the region) and just over 1,300 more were injured.

The newly formed Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition is calling for legislation in 2010 that would help improve the safety and accessibility of roads in Minnesota for everyone, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. A statewide “Complete Streets” policy would help Minnesota update its transportation planning and design process to ensure that we build roads that are safe for everyone.

“Most of our state’s roads were designed at a time when moving more cars faster was the priority,” said Barb Thoman, Program Consultant at Transit for Livable Communities. “Today Minnesotans want streets that are safe for everyone, regardless of whether they’re walking, driving, bicycling, taking the bus or using a wheelchair.”

For the full report and press release, click here.