October marks National Pedestrian Safety Month

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and is being recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation as efforts continue to protect pedestrians. In 2020, 6,516 pedestrians were killed in the United States – an average of 18 pedestrians a day. 

Pedestrian safety is top of mind at MTC. The MTC-led Vision Zero Working Group met for the first time last year to exchange ideas on how to make the Bay Area a safer place for pedestrians, bicyclists and others.

MTC has adopted a regional Safety/Vision Zero policy and has begun development on a Regional Integrated Safety Data System to provide jurisdictions with a consistent source of data and tools for conducting safety analyses and informing their safety plans and projects. More information on the Vision Zero Working Group can be found here.

The issue also has an equity component. People who are American Indian and Alaska Native are almost three times more likely to die walking than the general public, on a 100,000 per person basis. People who are Black are more than 50% more likely to die walking than the general public, on a 100,000 per person basis, according to the DOT.

“We live in an era when it is safer to fly in an airplane 30,000 feet above the ground than it is to walk down the street,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This National Pedestrian Safety Month, we must redouble our efforts to address the urgent national crisis on our nation’s roads, and do everything in our power to keep pedestrians safe.”