Photo courtesy: Rice Signs
Detroit walkers beware: Michigan’s largest metropolitan area earned the 12th spot on a recent list of dangerous places for pedestrians compiled by a U.S. transportation advocacy group.
Approximately 800 Detroit pedestrians were killed in accidents from 2000 to 2009, according to the list.
Transportation for America released on Wednesday its “Dangerous by Design” report containing national and state trends and this fatalities map to shed light on what it calls “an epidemic of preventable pedestrian deaths.”
The number of pedestrians killed each year equals to a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing each month, according to the group.
Other Great Lakes cities on the list of 52 most dangerous metropolitan areas are Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Michigan and Illinois had the most walkers die over the decade, according to state data from the report. Traffic accidents killed 5,6035 Great Lakes pedestrians; economic losses and diminished quality of life resulted in a cost of $24.21 billion for the region.
Both figures double when taking into account Pennsylvania and New York, states with large cities outside of the Great Lakes basin.
Transportation for America is calling for the next federal transportation spending bill to include complete streets policies to improve bicycling and walking routes and additional safety provisions.
Click chart to enlarge
Pingback: Our favorite reader comments of 2011, part 2 | Great Lakes Echo
Wow! And that doesn’t even count the drive-by shootings.