Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Mike Carey (R-OH) and Emilia Sykes (D-OH) introduced bipartisan legislation to help improve pedestrian safety in rural, urban, and suburban communities.
“The Columbus metro region has seen an explosion in population growth, but unfortunately our transportation and pedestrian infrastructure has not kept up,” said Congressman Carey. “Our legislation will make our roadways safer for children and families by redesigning crosswalks, roundabouts, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.”
“As more pedestrians are injured and killed while walking in crosswalks and on streets without sidewalks, the need to find commonsense solutions to allow people to move around our neighborhoods without fear is critical to the quality of life in our communities,” said Congresswoman Sykes. “I’m proud to work alongside Congressman Carey to co-lead the Save Our Pedestrians Act, which will require states to set aside federal dollars to make our roads safer for everyone—from pedestrians to motorists. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will reduce accidents and save lives in Ohio’s 13th District and across the country.”
The Save Our Pedestrians Act of 2024 requires that five percent of all funding appropriated to states through the Highway Safety Improvement Program be used for projects that reduce the number of injuries and fatalities at high-risk pedestrian crossings.
More than 8,000 pedestrians have been killed by motor vehicles on America’s roadways since 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the equivalent of about one death every 66 minutes.
This problem has only increased over time. Pedestrian deaths have increased by 77% since 2010, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
A copy of the bill can be found here.