Bakersfield ranked seventh most dangerous metropolitan area nationwide for pedestrians
Jul. 16—Bakersfield did it again.
Nonprofit Smart Growth America, which released a report analyzing pedestrian fatalities nationwide, ranked the city within the top-10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians for the second year in a row. Bakersfield came in as the seventh most dangerous metropolitan area, with 152 pedestrian deaths from 2016 to 2020, in a report titled "Dangerous by Design."
"We need to create a system that works for everybody," said Steve Davis, assistant vice president of transportation strategy at Smart Growth America. "And that also means putting drivers in a position to succeed and not in a position to fail."
The nonprofit had ranked Bakersfield as No. 2 last year in pedestrian deaths, and No. 7 in 2019. Though Davis noted it's not possible to compare this year's report to previous years because the pandemic changed the way they collected data.
Instead of using a pedestrian danger index — which were deaths by population compared to walking rates regionally — the 2022 study looks at deaths per 100,000 people in the population, based on 2020 data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the most recent figures available. Similar to PDI, this method allows analysts to compare bigger metro areas to smaller areas.
The fatality rate was 3.41 per 100,000 people. Five years ago, the rate was 2.39 deaths per 100,000 people in Bakersfield, Davis noted. Bakersfield's current rate — 3.41 — would qualify to be the most deadly metro area in the country five years ago, he added.
"That's how much worse things have gotten across the country," Davis said.
"Dangerous by Design" also examines long-term trends to determine whether cities are getting safer.
Analysts averaged fatalities rates from 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020, and then averaged those two numbers.
"Bakersfield's increase (in fatality rates) over the past decade is in the top quarter of metro areas getting worse," Davis said.
The pandemic accelerated this trend. While driving cratered, fatalities went up for the first time. Congestion had kept fatalities in check because it's hard to speed in traffic. But with empty roadways, speeding drivers could disregard rules, Davis noted.
Many of these fatalities disproportionately affected Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and in low-income areas, the report notes.
Arresting people can address speeding, Davis said. However, the report notes most problems stem from planning the roads that prioritize speed instead of safety. That means fewer lanes, narrower lanes and more stoplights.
Union Avenue has been determined to be a hot spot for pedestrian deaths, according to the group.
And it's not a mystery why Union is so dangerous, Davis said. It has six travel lanes and the traffic lights spaced far apart, he added. A person might have to walk several minutes to the crosswalk and then walk that same distance back to arrive at their location.
Christian Lukens, a spokesman for Caltrans, wrote in an email that a pedestrian hybrid beacon is under construction at Golden State Highway and 8th Street. There will also be upgrades to curb ramps along that artery, he noted.
Lukens also wrote the department "initiated" a new marked crosswalk and pedestrian hybrid beacon on Golden State Highway and 10th Street.
Previously, the city of Bakersfield and Caltrans had begun a project to decrease a travel lane on Union Avenue, between Brundage Lane and 12th Street. There will also be a raised bike path and parking slots to buffer cars from pedestrians.
Ishani Desai can be reached at 661-395-7417. Follow her on Twitter: @_ishanidesai.
