In New York, arterial streets are the deadliest
Arterial streets account for 60 percent of New York's pedestrian fatalities, says the New York City Department of Transportation.
The city's new Pedestrian Safety Report, based on an examination of more than 7,000 pedestrian accidents, points out, "Arterial streets (typically wide signalized streets that carry high volumes of traffic) account for about 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities but only 15 percent of the total road network."
Pedestrian accidents on arterials streets are deadlier than those on minor streets, The New York Times noted Sept. 5 in a safety report article available here. The Times describes the city's arterials as generally being two-way thoroughfares that go through dense residential and retail areas, follow subway and bus routes, and experience heavy pedestrian traffic.
Echoing safety studies that have appeared in New Urban News in recent years, the article observes that according to the report, "Wider streets are more dangerous."