From:  Invest in non-motorized transportation | The Salt Lake Tribune

“Transportation studies show that more pedestrians

and bicyclists on our streets make the streets safer

for everyone: As the percentage of trips made by

non-motorized transportation increases,

the percentage of injury accidents per miles

traveled decreases.” 

 

This is because:

1. More bicyclists and pedestrians increase driver awareness.

2. As more people bike and walk, they become more empathetic drivers, better able to anticipate and respect non-motorists.

3. Pedestrians and bicyclists have a “traffic calming” effect. Slower traffic means fewer and less severe accidents.

4. More pedestrians and bicyclists result in more spending on safer infrastructure for active transportation.

“This is a classic chicken-and-egg problem. Do we ignore the safety needs of non-motorists because they are a minority? Or do we invest in facilities to make walking and bicycling safer and more convenient? There is ample evidence that building infrastructure for active transportation substantially increases the number of pedestrians and bicyclists. Build it, and they will come.”