Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque was the second most dangerous metropolitan area for pedestrians in the U.S. in 2020, according to a report by Smart Growth America.
According to the report, titled Dangerous by Design 2022, the Albuquerque metro area has averaged 4.19 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people a year from 2016 through 2020. The report states that 192 pedestrian deaths were recorded in the metro during that same period.
The report states that the Albuquerque metro area has become increasingly deadly for pedestrians since 2016. The average fatality rate here increased by 84% since 2015. Albuquerque was previously ranked as the 12th most dangerous metropolitan area in the Dangerous by Design 2021 report.
“This crisis will continue to get worse until those with the power finally make safety for everyone who uses our roads the top priority,” the report states.
The Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida, metropolitan area was ranked No. 1 at 4.25 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people.
The report ranks New Mexico as the most dangerous state for pedestrians in the nation with an average of 3.76 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people.
“This is an epidemic and unsafe road design is a major culprit. We need to improve roads so that no one has to risk their life when crossing the street,” Calvin Gladney, president and CEO of Smart Growth America said. SGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring urban development policies promote safe community growth.
The report argues that U.S. streets are dangerous because they are essentially designed for fast vehicle transportation and have little regard for safe pedestrian travel. While driving decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pedestrian deaths continued to increase nationwide in both 2019 and 2020.
The report also notes that American Indians and African Americans are more than twice as likely to die while walking compared with other ethnic groups.
