Pedestrian Safety Programs in Centers of Large Cities: Institutional Settings and Identified Barriers

Abstract

Although pedestrian fatalities in the United States have decreased, walking remains one of the more dangerous travel modes. Concern for pedestrian safety is likely to be felt more strongly in the centers of large cities (defined as cities with populations of greater than 500,000) than in other, smaller cities. The needs and the issues in the centers of large cities need to be understood when planning officials develop and implement pedestrian safety programs. Planning officials from 13 large cities (Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; San Francisco and San Jose, California; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C.) were interviewed to discuss institutional settings, interagency collaboration, high-risk population groups, and institutional barriers. Results revealed that collaboration of multiple stakeholders was typical, but several barriers needed to be addressed to further improve pedestrian safety. The barriers included competing priorities between agencies, lack of resources, auto-dependent culture, and data gaps. More holistic approaches are needed as safety countermeasures alone may not always be sufficient for the enhancement of pedestrian safety. Often, pedestrian safety is related to pedestrians’ socioeconomic status, physical environment, and even adverse local issues. Thus, participation and formalized policy integration among multiple parties are required to create a win–win safety policy that can be built on the basis of frequent dialogue, information sharing, and identification of shared goals and objectives.