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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson is the fourth-most dangerous metro area in the United States for pedestrians, according to a new report that has local leaders calling for urgent action.
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The report by Smart Growth America shows Tucson recorded 235 pedestrian deaths between 2020 and 2024.
“We knew this was coming, and it’s very clear that we have a lot of work that we need to do, and we need to act urgently,” said Tucson councilwoman Miranda Schubert.
Pedestrian safety concerns are not a new problem in Tucson, and leaders said the numbers show a need for change in a larger system that covers many different areas.
Schubert said the issue boils down to funding action by the city council.
“I think it’s about political leadership that says, in moments when there’s money to be spent, that we’re spending money in the right ways,” she said.
Advocacy groups have tried to step in to curb the statistics. One way is word-of-mouth awareness of safe driving.
“If you’re hit by a car going 20 miles an hour, you have a 95% chance of surviving. If you’re hit by a car going 35 miles an hour, you only have a 15% chance of surviving,” said Cascio with Living Streets Alliance.
The group has capitalized on active road improvements by the city to extend pedestrian and bike lanes, including recent projects that have safeguarded posts and colored extensions of the curb to provide more leeway for people walking.
“When we extend the curb or the sidewalk out into the street, it helps cars to slow down. It actually decreases the amount of time a person’s out into the street crossing,” Cascio said.
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A portion of the reported deaths 13 News has covered involve mental health crises and drug use as factors, which is why Schubert said there also needs to be a focus on the accessibility of the appropriate resources.
“When we have social problems like addiction or mental health issues, it shows that we need more investment in solving the root causes of these problems,” Schubert said. “We don’t need to be building our public spaces to demand perfection in order to stay alive.”
Cascio said other countries in the study have a similar range of issues but have seen decreases in pedestrian deaths, which is why they are pushing for more investments at the city level.
“People make mistakes. So how do we make sure that we’re designing our streets in a way that other countries and other places have tried to attempt to do that and are seeing real successes?” Cascio said.
Schubert said she is aiming to push for funding for RTA Next to be prioritized for the Complete Streets Project, which focuses on road improvements for pedestrian safety.
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