As Dallas struggles with rising pedestrian fatalities, the city’s car-centric culture and outdated infrastructure continue to pose severe risks to its most vulnerable residents.
The tragic death of Aresly Jaramillo, a woman who was hit and killed by a Dallas police vehicle while crossing a six-lane road that had no crosswalk, has intensified calls for urgent reforms in traffic safety and pedestrian infrastructure.
Jaramillo’s family has initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against the Dallas Police Department, seeking not only compensation but also significant changes to the city’s traffic patterns and pedestrian safety standards. Their plea highlights the critical need for updated crosswalks, improved traffic signs, and more strict enforcement against speeding by the police, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Since 2018, the city’s pedestrian fatalities have been on a troubling rise. Data from the Vision Zero Dallas dashboard reveals that as of August 21, 2024, there have been 402 pedestrian-involved crashes year-to-date, 45 of which were fatal. This marks a notable increase from last year, reflecting a troubling trend in road safety. In response, the Federal Highway Safety Administration has named Dallas a “focus city” due to its alarming pedestrian safety record, per The Dallas Morning News.
Dallas has been grappling with pedestrian safety issues for years. A 2016 Texas A&M study ranked Dallas County fourth nationally in pedestrian fatalities, and despite efforts by the Dallas Police Department’s public safety committee to enhance road signage and infrastructure, the problem persists.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express in 2023, residents started questioning pedestrian safety in Downtown Dallas after a fatal hit-and-run last summer, which spurred a petition to close Akard Street to traffic.
Initiated by Hexel Colorado, a resident of Akard Street, on February 27, the petition has garnered over 1,000 signatures. It highlights the tragic death of Lisa Jordan, who was killed in a hit-and-run on August 6, 2023, while walking legally.
Nationally, pedestrian deaths reached a historic high in 2022, but recent data suggests a slight decline this year. Dallas’ Vision Zero initiative, launched in 2022, aims to cut severe injury crashes by 50% by 2030. The initiative is modeled after a Swedish program that aims for zero traffic fatalities, reported The Dallas Morning News.
Efforts to address these issues include the Dallas Sidewalk Master Plan, established in June 2021 with a $30 million budget. The plan prioritizes improving sidewalks in twelve key areas. However, the plan’s impact has been challenging to assess, with an estimated $3 billion needed to fully implement all the new pedestrian safety initiatives.
As previously detailed in a report from The Dallas Express, a recent study by personal injury lawyer Matthew E. Aulsbrook ranked three Texas cities among the most dangerous for pedestrians in the U.S. The report evaluated cities based on pedestrian fatality rates, walkability scores, and the proportion of parks and recreational areas.
In North Texas, Fort Worth and Dallas were ranked 4th and 8th, respectively, for pedestrian danger.
Fort Worth has a pedestrian fatality rate of 3.24 per 100,000 residents and a walkability score of 35, indicating a “Car-Dependent” status. The city allocates about 6% of its area to parks and recreation.
In comparison, Dallas has a higher walkability score of 46 but remains within the “Car-Dependent” category and has a pedestrian fatality rate of 5.54 per 100,000 residents.
