Columbus is the 13th safest large city for pedestrians in the United States, according to a recently released study from KURU, a footwear brand.
KURU – which has a financial interest in people walking around – used pedestrian fatality rates and a walk score, "a metric that reflects walkability based on access to amenities, population density, and street design," to rank 35 U.S. metro areas with populations of more than 500,000 people.
Columbus came in 13th with a pedestrian fatality rate of 1.08 per 100,000 people and a walk score of 41, according to the study. It landed just behind Portland, Oregon, in 12th place and just ahead of Denver, Colorado, in 14th place.
If you're wondering, the safest large city for pedestrians in the U.S., according
to KURU, is Boston, while the most unsafe is Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The City of Columbus is currently working on Vision Zero, an effort to eliminate crash fatalities and serious injuries on its streets through infrastructure improvements, enforcement and education.
Here are some ODOT construction projects to look out for this week if you eschew the pedestrian lifestyle and decide to drive a vehicle:
New Franklin County ODOT projects for the week of Aug. 7
- I-270 South between East Main Street and the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge will be reduced to one lane from 8 p.m. Aug. 7 through 5 a.m. Aug. 10.
- The I-270 South ramp to Easton Way will close overnight from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Aug. 9.
- The I-270 East ramp to I-71 North on the north side will close overnight from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Aug. 9.
- ODOT Official Detour: I-270 East to Cleveland Avenue to I-270 West to I-71 North.
- I-71 South between North Broadway Street and Weber Road will have various overnight lane restrictions from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Aug. 15.
- The North Broadway Street ramp to I-71 South will close Aug. 15.
- ODOT Official Detour: Silver Road south to East Weber Road.
New downtown Columbus ODOT projects for the week of Aug. 7
- The Mound Street ramp to I-70 West will close from 8 p.m. Aug. 7 through 5 a.m. Aug. 10.
- ODOT Official Detour: Second Street to U.S. 62 to State Route 315 South to I-70 West
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New study shows how Columbus ranks against other cities on pedestrian safety | Getting There
