Pedestrian traffic deaths nationwide dropped for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary data released last month. But pedestrian deaths still remain at near historic highs, leaving many transportation officials and safety advocates searching for why the numbers have been climbing and what to do about it. Speaking at an Amazon Web Services conference this week, Mike Arellano, deputy district director for the Texas Department of Transportation’s Austin District, said he receives “sobering” traffic fatality reports at 5 a.m. every day from across the district, which covers more than 9,000 square miles in 11 counties and racks up more than 45 million vehicle miles traveled daily. Arellano and other state officials are rolling out new traffic technologies that, among other things, utilize artificial intelligence in an effort to curb the high fatalities.
Route Fifty
Story by Chris Teale
July 26, 2024