Tennessee sees decrease in pedestrian deaths, but more progress needed
Pedestrian deaths are ticking down in Nashville and across Tennessee, although numbers remain far higher than they were a decade ago.
Why it matters: There are measures that experts agree make pedestrians safer. Incremental progress in recent years could be a sign some improvements are working.
Advocates and government agencies say doubling down on those strategies could help prevent more pedestrian deaths in the future.
The latest: A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows Tennessee making significant strides toward improving pedestrian safety.
By the numbers: Tennessee saw 63 pedestrian deaths during the first half of 2024, according to the report. That is a 30% drop compared with the same period in 2023.
The national report singled out our state's trend as particularly promising because of our "historically higher fatality counts."
Zoom in: More recent numbers from Nashville show that trend extending further. Metro police reported that 33 pedestrians were killed in Davidson County in 2024.
That's down from 39 in 2023.
Yes, but: It's far too soon for a victory lap. That is still far more than the 18 pedestrian deaths Nashville logged in 2014.
What they're saying: Wesley Smith of the advocacy group Walk Bike Nashville tells Axios the city must continue investments.
For instance, Nashville Electric Service is in the midst of updating streetlights.
But Smith urged officials to push upgrades to Murfreesboro Pike to the top of the list. He says that was the most dangerous road for pedestrians in 2024, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 fatal pedestrian crashes.
State of play: The Nashville Department of Transportation has several ongoing projects aimed at improving pedestrian safety.
The agency is conducting studies on major roads to determine whether speed limits should be lower. (Sections of Dickerson and Lebanon pikes have already gotten lower speed limits, NDOT spokesperson Cortnye Stone says.)
What's next: The first wave of Mayor Freddie O'Connell's Choose How You Move transportation plan will fund additional projects, including the beginning of a redesign for a high-traffic stretch of Gallatin Pike/Main Street in East Nashville.
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