More public transit can cut city traffic deaths by 40%, says study

APTA analysis of recent 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and 2023 Federal Transit Administration data shows that metropolitan areas with public transit use of more than 40 annual trips per capita have up to 40% of the traffic fatality rate of metro areas with fewer than 20 annual trips per capita.

APTA and the Vision Zero Network insist that fatality reduction also requires support strategies such as pedestrian and cycling improvements, commute trip reduction programmes, efficient parking management and transit-orientated development policies.

APTA has compiled a table of its findings: in first place, the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metropolitan area had 4.148 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents and made 218.584 transit trips per capita. At the bottom of the ranking, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s fatality rate was at 7.247 per 100,000 residents with 41.910 transit trips per capita.

According to APTA, factors which increase public transit use include good walking and cycling routes. In addition, it emphasises high-risk groups like young drivers, old people and alcohol drinkers are more likely to reduce their driving if public transit is convenient.

The analysis also reveals public transportation modes which serve longer trips can help reduce total vehicle miles travelled and provide safety benefits to users. It stresses commuter and inter-city rail is 18 times safer for passengers than travelling by car.

Both groups are encouraging city leaders, public transit and traffic safety professionals to collaborate and utilise public transit systems to achieve Vision Zero’s stated ambition of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

Vision Zero started in Sweden and now includes US cities such as Seattle, New York, San Diego and Washington, DC.