Wider Streets are More Dangerous for Pedestrians. There are Ways to Make them Safer – Smart Cities Dive
By Dan Zukowski
The number of pedestrians killed in U.S. traffic collisions rose 77% from 2010 to 2021 while the number killed in Europe declined 20% from 2010 to 2018. The NYU study examined the relationship between a city’s crosswalk length and its rate of pedestrian collisions. The study found the average crossing distance in Paris to be 26 feet versus 43 feet in San Francisco and 58 feet in Irvine.
“A fundamental aspect of pedestrian safety is the length of a crosswalk for a pedestrian,” Moran explained. “The longer that crossing is, the more you’re mathematically exposed to any type of road traffic.”
Pedestrian crossings that were longer than average in each city saw more collisions: an increase of 15% in Paris, 23% in San Francisco and 43% in Irvine. One in five crosswalks in Irvine is more than 70 feet long.
