Our federal tax dollars actually go to build these streets that are designed to be perilous to children, older adults and everyone else. And yet, right now, some in Congress are considering the total elimination of funding for projects to make it safer to walk and bicycle.
The highways-only lobby insists that pedestrian safety is a “frill” and a local responsibility. But 67 percent of these fatalities over the last 10 years occurred on federal-aid roads — roads eligible to receive federal funding or with federal guidelines or oversight for their design.
That’s right: Federal programs have encouraged state departments of transportation to prioritize speeding traffic over the safety of people in our neighborhoods and shopping districts. Shouldn’t our tax dollars be used to build streets that are safe for all users, and not deadly for those on foot?
The irony is that fixing these conditions is relatively cheap: Existing funds for that purpose — now targeted for elimination — amount to less than 1.5 percent of the current federal transportation outlay. A policy of giving federal support only to “complete streets” that are designed for the safety of people on foot or bicycle as well as in cars would cost next to nothing.
Tell Congress: it’s no time to start cutting funding keeps pedestrians safe.
Maryland
Between 2000 and 2009 there were 1,057 pedestrian deaths in Maryland, which cost the state $4.55 billion. Reducing pedestrian fatalities just 10% would have saved Maryland $454.51 million over 10 years. Maryland’s overall Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is 76.4, which ranks 15th out of 50 states. — Download Maryland report/factsheet PDF
Fatality Statistics
Deaths per 100,000 people, from 2000-2007
| by Race/Ethnicity | |
|---|---|
| African-Americans | 2.8 |
| Asians | 1.79 |
| Hispanics | 2.8 |
| Non-Hispanic whites | 1.4 |
| by Age | |
|---|---|
| 65 and over | 2.47 |
| 65 and over fatality rate national rank | 22th |
| Under age 65 | 1.7 |
82 children under 16 died between 2000 and 2007
Metro Data (2000-2009)
| Metro area | Total pedestrian fatalities | Percent of all traffic deaths that were pedestrians | Fatality rate per 100,000 persons | 2009 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Towson | 481 | 18.9% | 1.8 | 2,690,886 |
| Cumberland | 11 | 6.3% | 1.1 | 99,736 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | 38 | 8.4% | 1.6 | 266,149 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 965 | 17.9% | 1.7 | 5,968,252 |
| Salisbury | 22 | 12.4% | 1.9 | 120,181 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 854 | 18.7% | 1.7 | 5,476,241 |
County Data (2000-2009)
| County | Total pedestrian fatalities | Percent of all traffic deaths that were pedestrians | Fatality rate per 100,000 persons | 2009 population | Percent of population in poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | 6 | 6.1% | 0.8 | 72,532 | 14.2% |
| Anne Arundel | 84 | 15.7% | 1.7 | 521,209 | 5.2% |
| Baltimore | 166 | 21.8% | 2.1 | 789,814 | 7.8% |
| Baltimore city | 148 | 33.7% | 2.3 | 637,418 | 20.1% |
| Calvert | 12 | 9.2% | 1.4 | 89,212 | 4.8% |
| Caroline | 9 | 11% | 2.8 | 33,367 | 10.7% |
| Carroll | 15 | 7.7% | 0.9 | 170,089 | 5% |
| Cecil | 18 | 8.6% | 1.9 | 100,796 | 7.9% |
| Charles | 29 | 12.3% | 2.2 | 142,226 | 5.4% |
| Dorchester | 4 | 6% | 1.3 | 32,043 | 13.3% |
| Frederick | 21 | 8% | 1 | 227,980 | 4.8% |
| Garrett | 7 | 9% | 2.4 | 29,555 | 13% |
| Harford | 30 | 10.9% | 1.3 | 242,514 | 5.4% |
| Howard | 31 | 13.3% | 1.2 | 281,884 | 4% |
| Kent | 1 | 2.7% | 0.5 | 20,247 | 12.5% |
| Montgomery | 133 | 24.2% | 1.4 | 971,600 | 5.3% |
| Prince George’s | 258 | 21.4% | 3.1 | 834,560 | 7.4% |
| Queen Anne’s | 7 | 6.3% | 1.5 | 47,958 | 5.8% |
| Somerset | 4 | 10.3% | 1.6 | 25,959 | 18.1% |
| St. Mary’s | 15 | 11.6% | 1.6 | 102,999 | 7.6% |
| Talbot | 5 | 6.6% | 1.4 | 36,262 | 6.2% |
| Washington | 12 | 5.7% | 0.9 | 145,910 | 9.7% |
| Wicomico | 18 | 12.9% | 2 | 94,222 | 12.4% |
| Worcester | 25 | 20.2% | 5.1 | 49,122 | 9.8% |