How racial segregation contributes to disparities in pedestrian safety

Everyone deserves the right to walk safely in their neighborhoods. However, racial segregation can disproportionately escalate the risk of pedestrian crashes, exposing certain racial communities to higher risk levels. This study investigates racial disparities in the distribution of severe pedestrian crashes (fatal and injury-related) in terms of residential segregation in the City of Chicago, an urban area with pronounced racial segregation.

We constructed a detailed Census Block Group-level dataset by integrating multiple data sources, including socio-demographic variables, built environment characteristics, crime rates, and crash records. Our analysis reveals that although Black-majority block groups represent only 24% of Chicago's population, they account for 37% of all severe pedestrian crashes, indicating significant racial disparities in pedestrian safety. We employed multiple indices to characterize racial segregation and classify neighborhoods into four areas: Black, Hispanic, White-majority, and Mixed communities. We developed Spatial Lag Negative Binomial (SLNB) model to examine the main drivers contributing to severe pedestrian crashes across these communities.

Five major categories of variables were identified as significant predictors: exposure factors, socio-demographic characteristics, indicators of social exclusion, spatial and temporal conditions, and transit accessibility. The results indicate that while crash risk in White-majority areas is more associated with socio-demographic characteristics, Black and Hispanic-majority areas are disproportionately affected by infrastructure deficits, such as poor transit accessibility and inadequate nighttime lighting. Distinct patterns associated with segregated communities were highlighted, shedding light on unique challenges faced by these groups.

The findings from this study provide valuable insights for city authorities focused on two critical goals: enhancing pedestrian safety and dismantling barriers to equitable access to safe walking environments for all communities.