Bradenton ranks as 15th deadliest US metro for pedestrians. Here’s what to know

The Bradenton area has climbed to the 15th deadliest metro in the country for pedestrians, according to Smart Growth America’s latest “Dangerous by Design” report. Local pedestrian deaths jumped from 119 between 2015 and 2019 to 153 between 2020 and 2024.

FULL STORY: Bradenton ranks among most deadly places in US for pedestrians, study says

Here are key takeaways:

• The North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota metro ranked 15th deadliest in the 2026 report, up from 17th in 2024 and 19th in 2022. The area’s fatality rate now sits at 3.4 annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people.
• Smart Growth America said the 7,080 people killed while walking nationally in 2024 shows the transportation system “is not” working for everyone, calling pedestrian deaths one of the clearest measures of safety.
• Florida has six metros on the 20 most deadly list, more than any state. The state ranked No. 5 nationally with an average annual fatality rate of 3.32 deaths per 100,000 people.
• More than half of pedestrian deaths in 2024 occurred on state-owned roads. The Florida Department of Transportation recently launched a $4.6 million overhaul of U.S. 41 in Bradenton, a frequent site of pedestrian crashes.
• Smart Growth America highlighted Orlando as a success story, dropping to No. 25 after consistently ranking in the top 20, though 65 people were still killed walking there in 2024.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.