It is deadlier to walk in these 3 South Carolina spots than most places in the US, study shows
Walking in South Carolina and three metro areas in particular is deadlier than in most other places in the nation, a new study shows.
The study, released on Tuesday by Smart Growth America, lists Charleston-North Charleston, Columbia and Greenville-Anderson among the 20 deadliest metro areas in the U.S. for pedestrians. It also cites South Carolina as the third deadliest among the states for pedestrians.
The study found that the level of danger for pedestrians “varies significantly depending on where you are walking because the way a roadway is designed has a major impact on safety.”
Smart Growth America, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, ranked metro areas and states on pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents between 2016 and 2020. The year 2020 is the most recent year available for federal data, including nationwide numbers on pedestrian fatalities for metro areas, the group states.
In a press release sent along with the study, Smart Growth explains that safety improvements are needed in road design around the U.S.
“Crosswalks are regularly missing or too far apart, some lanes are too wide, and intersections are difficult to cross on foot. Many places people regularly walk have zero sidewalks,” the press release states.
According to the study, the South is overrepresented in the top most dangerous states — noting that the “bulk of growth and development in the region has taken place in an era where low-density, sprawling land uses and high-speed, multi-lane arterial highways have been the dominant form.”
The study adds that more pedestrians were killed nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic even as people drove less. The number of cars on the road declined, but that led to an increase in speeds for many people who did still drive, which made walking more dangerous for pedestrians, the study states.
In addition, the report found that black pedestrians were twice as likely to be killed by walking than white ones. And “despite accounting for only 17% of the population, lower-income neighborhoods (those with a median household income of $2,500-$43,000) are where more than 30% of all pedestrian deaths occur,” the study states.
Columbia has worked in recent years to improve travel for pedestrians in the city.
The city partnered with the Central Midlands Council of Governments to develop a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and Bike Share Plan, called Walk Bike Columbia, with funding provided in part by the Federal Transit Administration, Palmetto Health, and Abacus Planning.
The planning process began in May 2014 and the City Council adopted the walking and biking plan as part of a larger comprehensive plan in May 2015. That was then incorporated in 2020 into Columbia Compass: Envision 2036, a blueprint for how the city will develop over the next decade.
The city also earlier this year has talked plans to improve pedestrian safety crossing Assembly Street’s six lanes of traffic to travel between The Vista and downtown. Possible upgrades include improved sidewalks and medians, pedestrian “bump-outs” and better signal lights.
Below are the 20 deadliest metro areas and 20 deadliest states for pedestrians.
Top 20 metro areas
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
Albuquerque, NM
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Jacksonville, FL
Bakersfield, CA
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Stockton, CA
Fresno, CA
Baton Rouge, LA
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Tucson, AZ
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (tie)
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (tie)
Columbia, SC
Greenville-Anderson, SC
El Paso, TX
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Top 20 states
New Mexico
Florida
South Carolina
Arizona
Delaware
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nevada
Georgia
California
Alabama
Texas
Hawaii
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Maryland
Tennessee
Arkansas
New Jersey
Oregon
