Six areas in North Texas have been identified as being among the most dangerous places for pedestrians in the entire state of Texas.
The data was pulled from Texas Department of Transportation statistics compiled by a San Antonio law firm as part of a recent report.
The report identified 73 “high-risk zones in the state of Texas, where 10 or more pedestrian collisions occurred during the study period,” which was 2012 to 2015, the last year for which there is complete data.
“Pedestrians of any age are amongst the most vulnerable road users,” the report noted. “Even at low speeds, a motor vehicle collision with a pedestrian can lead to catastrophic injuries.”
Of the 25 “most dangerous” places identified, six of them are local:
2. Dallas, West End
12. Fort Worth, E. Lancaster & Riverside
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13. Dallas, West Northwest Highway
18. Dallas, E. Ledbetter & Bonnie View
19. Dallas, Malcolm X & MLK Boulevard
25. Dallas, E. Ledbetter & Sunnyvale
Those six areas accounted for a total of 114 crashes involving pedestrians, resulting 118 injuries and six deaths over the four-year period studied.
Although it ranked second on the list, Dallas’ West End — a popular destination for locals and tourists — actually had two more pedestrian accidents than did the area that ranked first on the list, which is in Austin.
There were 42 accidents involving pedestrians in the West End, which is home to Dealey Plaza, The Sixth Floor Museum, the Dallas Holocaust Museum and a whole host of restaurants, shops and other businesses. Those accidents resulted in 42 total injuries, six of which were listed as “incapacitating.” None of the accidents resulted in a fatality, according to the report.
Jeremy Scott, the owner of Tutta’s Pizza and the Director of Marketing for the West End Association, was taken aback by the data.
“My first thought was, ‘That’s gotta be a crock. There’s no way.’” Scott said. “But if it’s factual then it needs to be, the story needs to be told. But I think the story needs to be told with completeness.”
For instance, Scott noted that in 2016 — after a concerted push by the local business community — the intersection of Ross Avenue at Record was converted from a two-way stop intersection to a four-way stop. That move was made after the period that the data pulled for the pedestrian report was generated.
Scott emphasized that this is a story that must be read in its entirety to understand, because the headline alone could cause undue alarm.
“I would like to look at the data and see specifically when it occurred, what was the reasoning it occurred, instead of just saying, ‘Oh my God, this is the second most dangerous city, or district, in the state of Texas,’ as a result of that,” Scott said. “It just seems like it’s a little incomplete.”
