4 Proven Steps for Improved Pedestrian Safety

Experts from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) present four steps for reducing the number of pedestrians killed by drivers.

1 minute read

July 28, 2022, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pedestrian Safety

Crosswalk flags are not a step in the right direction for pedestrian safety. | VDB Photos / Shutterstock

As a supplement to the “Dangerous by Design 2022” report, published in July by Smart Growth America, Alex Engel and Kate Fillin-Yeh provide a playbook for reducing the unnecessary levels of carnage on U.S. streets and roads.

The four steps recommended by Engel, senior manager of communications for NACTO, and Fillin-Yeh, director of strategy for NACTO, include the following, with a lot more specifics and examples provided in the source article, published by Smart Growth America:

  1. Analyze where the worst streets are and who needs to be in the room for change.
  2. Reset speed limits to be compatible with human life.
  3. Use proven street designs that save lives and make places more vibrant.
  4. Document results, iterate, and share them out.

As documented by the report, and noted at the outset of the article, “More than 6,500 people were struck and killed while walking in 2020, a 4.7 percent increase over 2019, even as driving decreased overall because of the pandemic’s unprecedented disruptions to travel behavior.”

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 in Smart Growth America

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Entrance to subterranean Hollywood/Vine Metro station in Los Angeles, California surrounded by tall apartment buildings.

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access

A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

45 minutes ago - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Yellow roadside sign with extreme heat warning: "Danger - Extreme Conditions! - STOP - Do not hike Jun-Sep - HEAT KILLS"

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills

Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

1 hour ago - Nevada Current

View of downtown Pittsburgh, PA with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units

Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.

2 hours ago - Axios