Community Corner

Mar Vista Pedestrian Safety

How does Mar Vista compare with the rest of the country when it comes to pedestrian safety?

A national advocacy group that looked at decades worth of data ranked the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area as number 27 in a list of the 52-most-dangerous areas for pedestrians nationwide.

The group, Transportation for America, mapped out the more than 47,000 pedestrian deaths in the country from 2000 to 2009.  Seven people were killed in Mar Vista during that time, according to the study.

The most recent fatality from that period was a 34-year-old man killed on July 20, 2007, just north of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, according to the Transportation for America map, which can be viewed here.

The full Transportation for America report notes that 12 percent of total traffic accidents involve pedestrians and suggests that the main cause of pedestrian deaths are roads that are poorly designed for pedestrian safety.

It makes a number of recommendations on how to fix the problem, including expansion of sidewalks, trails and bike lanes, as well as prioritizing walkers and de-prioritizing the speed of traffic in designing side streets and connector roads.

Which intersections and roads do you feel are most unsafe for pedestrians in Mar Vista? Tell us in the comments.

For the complete list of most dangerous pedestrian metro areas, according to Transportation for America, click here.

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