Tell Us
The ranking comes amid ongoing concerns following several serious pedestrian-related incidents in the city over the past year.
A new report has ranked Boston the second-safest major city in the U.S. for pedestrians, citing a combination of low fatality rates and strong walkability. But the ranking comes amid ongoing concerns following several serious pedestrian-related incidents in the city over the past year.
The study by KURU Footwear analyzed pedestrian fatality data and “Walk Scores” for 36 of the country’s largest cities (those with populations of at least 500,000 as of 2022).
Boston ranked the No. 2 safest city for pedestrians, earning an overall safety score of 89 — just behind New York at 90. The rankings considered factors such as walkable access to amenities, population density, and street design (Walk Scores), and pedestrian death rate of 0.99 per 100,000 people.
The findings suggest that cities in the Northeast – particularly Boston, New York, and Philadelphia – are leading the way in safety and pedestrian-focused design.
The positive safety ranking comes after Boston has seen several devastating pedestrian incidents in recent month.
On Thursday, investigators released a report finding that Transdev, the city’s bus contractor for Boston Public Schools, failed to keep proper track of bus accidents, and Boston school administrators also did not regularly request and inspect accident and training records until after a Hyde Park kindergartner’s death.
And in early August, a pedestrian was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being struck by an e-bike in Copley Square.
While Boston’s ranking highlights the city’s relatively strong pedestrian infrastructure, we want to hear from you about your experiences with pedestrian safety in Boston.
Is Boston a pedestrian-friendly city?
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
Tell us: Is Boston pedestrian-friendly?
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
About the Author
