Complete Streets would help curb preventable pedestrian deaths

From 2000 to 2009, 47,700 Americans were struck and killed while walking. Another 688,000 were injured in that same time period – meaning a pedestrian was hit by a car or truck every 7 minutes for the past ten years.

Two-thirds percent of these fatalities occurred on roads eligible to receive federal funding or with federal guidelines or oversight for their design. Shouldn’t our tax dollars result in safer streets for all users? A policy of giving federal support only to “complete streets,” designed for the safety of people on foot or bicycle as well as in cars would be a smart first step toward reducing these preventable deaths.

Tell your Senators and Representative to sponsor the newly-released Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011. Complete Streets are a cost-effective way to improve safety and accessibility for everyone using the road. Complete Streets mean all users are considered at the outset of every transportation project, making walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation convenient, attractive, and safe choices.