Episode 19: Pedestrian Deaths are Finally Dropping? + Johnny Transportation Comes to Town

Pedestrian Deaths – David & Wes dig into a surprising shift in pedestrian safety and ask a harder question: are streets actually getting safer, or are we just seeing a temporary drop in risk? After years of rising fatalities, recent numbers suggest a modest improvement, but the pattern is anything but consistent. They explore whether this reflects real progress from design changes and enforcement, shifting travel behavior, or simply volatility in a system that still produces predictable danger. It’s a conversation about what it would actually look like if we knew how to make streets safer, and why the data do not quite tell that story yet. Other topics: 🔹 The Secretary of Transportation’s road trip reality show 🔹 Gas prices & the resiliency value of transit 🔹 Should we be subsidizing ridehail commutes? Check out our new website! And subscribe for biweekly conversations about all things transportation. Additional resources: GHSA’s Report on Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 Preliminary Data (January-June) Wes Marshall & Alejandro Henao. "The shock heard round the suburbs: Assessing the vulnerability, resilience, and transportation affordability of higher fuel price scenarios." Transportation Research Record (2015).  Rachael Bronson & Wes Marshall. "Alternative and adaptive transportation: What household factors support recovery from a drastic increase in gas price?." International Journal of Environmental Science & Technology (2014).  Lyft brings pre-tax commuter benefits deal to 14 more cities  Bruce Schaller. "Can sharing a ride make for less traffic? Evidence from Uber and Lyft and implications for cities." Transport Policy (2021).  Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound) Email us at [email protected] or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org