A closer look at the pedestrian safety crisis

WAMU 88.5 | By Lauren Hamilton

Published February 13, 2023 at 11:14 AM CST

Pedestrians move past the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, New York.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, traffic deaths have surged in cities across America.

We last checked in on pedestrian safety in November 2021. That year shaped up to be the deadliest for pedestrians in four decades.

Data from the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that drivers hit and killed more than 7,000 pedestrians in 2021, an average of 20 deaths per day.

While data from 2022 isn’t out yet, estimates indicate that the pedestrian safety crisis has only worsened.

To help address the surge, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $800 million dollars in grants as a part of its Safe Streets for All program in February.

These grants fund municipal-level projects to improve traffic infrastructure and road safety.

What impact will this federal investment have on traffic deaths? How can we make communities safer for pedestrians?

We convene a panel of experts to talk about it.