Crossing the street in Charlotte may be getting more dangerous.
A new report from Smart Growth America shows pedestrian deaths continue to rise both locally and nationwide.
The organization found pedestrian deaths across the United States have increased by 75% since 2010. Its latest “Dangerous by Design” report also found that 287 people were killed while walking in the Charlotte region during 2020 to 2024.
Shannon Binns, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Sustain Charlotte, which focuses on responsible growth and transportation choices, says the rising trend points to a long-standing problem.
“The streets were engineered to move vehicles as fast as possible," Binns said. "They weren’t engineered for safety."
Binns says Charlotte has made progress with sidewalks, crosswalks and greenways, but those improvements are happening way too slowly.
“It’s just been far too incremental," he said. "We need to treat this like the public safety emergency that it is."
And while advocates push for safer street design, he says pedestrians should stay vigilant.
