Miami ranks as the 11th most dangerous city for pedestrians

Pedestrian traffic on South Beach's Lincoln Road in August (Credit: Getty Images)
Pedestrian traffic on South Beach's Lincoln Road in August (Credit: Getty Images)

Walkability, a key selling point for developers and agents in Miami, may not be as strong as they would prefer.

Miami ranked 11th in a new list of the most dangerous U.S. cities for pedestrians, according to the Dangerous by Design report by Smart Growth America, a Washington, D.C.-based organization.

Florida dominated the ranking, with Cape Coral-Fort Myers leading the country in pedestrian deaths based on population size, followed by Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, the Orlando area, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, the Tampa metro, and Sarasota/Bradenton, the Miami Herald reported.

From 2004 to 2014, 5,142 people were killed by a car while walking in Florida. In South Florida, that number was 1,508. Across the U.S., more than 46,000 pedestrians were killed by cars.

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The report doesn’t single out specific neighborhoods, but a number of projects and real estate agents sell their respective walkability factors. Neighborhoods like downtown Miami, Brickell, Wynwood, downtown West Palm Beach, Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Grove and more tout walkability. It’s no secret that home values are stronger in more walkable areas.

The report narrows in on the street design process, calling for federal policymakers, local elected leaders and transportation engineers to take action to end pedestrian deaths.

Even the Underline, a 10-mile linear park and trail planned for underneath Miami-Dade’s Metrorail, expects to face safety challenges when designing crosswalks, barriers and lighting at prominent intersections, especially along South Dixie Highway. [Miami Herald] – Katherine Kallergis