Walking the mean streets
“The good news: Fewer pedestrians are getting struck and killed by cars,” writes Guy Tridgell for the Daily Southtown. “The bad news: Fewer people are walking, decreasing their chances of getting hit but increasing their chances of becoming fat and unhealthy.”
“Means Streets 2004, a national report released Thursday by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, shows streets are becoming a less friendly place for walking.”
Although pedestrian deaths have declined about 13 percent the past decade, the rate of trips made by foot has plummeted.
The report found commuters walking to work has declined 25 percent, while the number of obese people has jumped 70 percent.
Researchers said streets are becoming more dangerous because of a trend with developments to discourage walking and to rely on the automobile for even short trips.
The deadliest cities for walking are Orlando, Fla., Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., and West Palm Beach, Fla. All are newer communities with populations spread across areas with speedy arterial streets.
The Chicago area is 34th among the 50 biggest cities for pedestrian safety, averaging 156 fatalities the past two years.
While the number of deaths is holding steady, the area’s population is growing. That suggests new developments in the suburbs are not designed with sidewalks, parks or bike paths, said Jacky Grimshaw of the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago.
“In some of these subdivisions in suburbia, they are not even made for walking,” said Grimshaw. “Even in the urban core, there are fewer people walking.”
Grimshaw and other planning groups are pushing for communities to plan for several modes of transportation, including mass transit, biking and walking. They also want more federal transportation money spent on things such as wider sidewalks, marked crosswalks and better street lighting.
“All of our safety money is going into the safety of vehicles,” Grimshaw said. “We need to invest in safety for other modes.”
Southtown transportation writer Guy Tridgell may be reached at gtridgell@dailysouthtown.com or 708 633-5970.
