What are the 100 Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for People Walking?

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People in lower-income neighborhoods die while walking at much higher rates than those in better socio-economic areas.

Why?

Impoverished communities are significantly less likely to have sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and street design to support safer, slower speeds, according to Smart Growth America.

Dangerous Congressional Districts

Moreover, many communities have spent decades designing streets for speeding cars rather than prioritizing safety for walkers, bikers, and those taking transit.

Since federal dollars and policies helped create these unsafe streets, Smart Growth America thinks that federal funds, policies, and guidance have a significant role in fixing existing and designing future streets.

To urge guidance from elected representatives, Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition released an addendum to “Dangerous by Design 2019” that lists pedestrian fatalities by Congressional district.

The addendum lists Arizona’s 7th district as the most dangerous in America. Its Congressman, Ruben Gallego is now working on a Complete Streets bill, which will aim to change the hazards in his district, according to Arizona Central.

“We need to make our communities friendly to all types of transportation, including biking, walking, and public transit,” Gallego said, in a statement. “It will not only make our streets safer, but also spur the economy and improve public health.”

Dangerous Congressional Districts

In January, Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition released the latest edition of “Dangerous by Design,” which ranks the 50 states and the nation’s largest 100 metropolitan areas based on Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) scores using fatal traffic crash data.

Earlier this month, they released an addendum that listing the 100 most dangerous Congressional districts for people walking.

Of the top 100, many are in states with high Latino populations, including:

• Arizona (31.6% Latino)
• Nevada (29% Latino)
• Florida (26.1% Latino)
• Texas (39.6% Latino)
• New Mexico (49.1% Latino)
• California (39.3% Latino)

From 2008-2017, 40% of all pedestrian fatalities occurred in just 100 of 435, or 22%, of all congressional districts, according to the report. More than 19,200 people were struck and killed in these 100 districts during that period.

“We are in the midst of an astonishing safety crisis as the United States has become an incredibly deadly place to go for a walk,” according to Smart Growth America.

It is particularly dangerous to walk in low-income communities.

To urge support from federal representatives, Smart Growth America created an email campaign to send a message to your senators and representatives asking them to pass a strong, binding federal Complete Streets to help save lives and create a safer, more prosperous future for our country.