Analysis Identifies Connecticut’s Most Dangerous Roads for Walking

A new analysis from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign found that in the three years from 2010 to 2012, 111 pedestrians were killed on Connecticut roads.

Connecticut’s pedestrian fatalities were concentrated in New Haven County (30 fatalities), Hartford County (29 fatalities) and Fairfield County (24 fatalities). These fatalities represent an increase from the Campaign’s 2013 analysis which found that 100 pedestrians were killed on the state’s roads from 2009 through 2011.

The analysis found, for the sixth year in a row, US-1 to be the state’s most deadly road for pedestrians. During this period, 11 pedestrians were killed on the roadway. With four pedestrian fatalities, US-44 was the second most dangerous road for walking.

“Since the Campaign’s first analysis in 2008, US-1 has consistently been Connecticut’s most deadly road for pedestrians. The state must commit to making significant changes that will save lives,” said Steven Higashide, senior planner with the Campaign.

The Campaign found that arterial roadways—multi-lane roads that often have speed limits of 40 mph or more with little pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure—are the region’s most deadly for pedestrians. 

“While it is important that Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) address safety on state owned roads like US-1, cities and towns across the state should also pass, implement and enforce complete streets policies, to ensure that pedestrian, transit riders, bicyclists and motorists of all ages and abilities can safely travel on local roads as well,” said Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut.

The Campaign praised and highlighted ConnDOT’s plan to narrow a three-mile section of US-44 in East Hartford as a good example of how to redesign dangerous roadways. The road will be transformed from four lanes to two lanes with additional parking, bike lanes and dedicated turn lanes. 

The Campaign urges Connecticut’s elected officials and agency leaders to:

• Update Connecticut’s Highway Design Manual, Connecticut’s standard road design reference book, to address the goals and policies set forth in the state’s complete streets law.
• Pass a vulnerable users bill which would increase penalties for careless drivers who injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists, police officers and other users of the road who are most at risk.
• Create a Safe Routes to Transit and a Safe Routes for Seniors program which would prioritize transit stops and areas with high densities of senior citizens or senior amenities to enhance pedestrian safety.

The analysis relied upon the most recent data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to determine which routes within each county had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities from 2010 to 2012. The analysis excludes interstates and other roads where pedestrians are prohibited and omits those fatalities that occurred on portions of roads where pedestrians are not allowed.


For more information, visit http://tstc.org/reports/danger14/index.php

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