Why San Antonio streets rank among the least safe
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The San Antonio area has some of the least safe streets in the country, per StreetLight Data's new "U.S. Safe Streets Index."
Why it matters: Traffic fatalities in San Antonio have increased since the pandemic, according to the city's latest tally.
- The new index offers fresh insight into how our city compares with other big cities.
How it works: The ranking is based on five key factors among the 100 biggest U.S. metros: vehicle miles traveled, speeds between vehicles, speed-based pedestrian risk, speeding in residential zones and truck activity.
Zoom in: The San Antonio metro ranks No. 83 out of 100 overall.
- When looking at speed-based pedestrian risk, we rank even worse, at No. 93. That means we have a lot of pedestrians walking alongside roads with traffic and speeds above 30 mph.
Yes, but: Our residential speeds are some of the best in the country, coming in at No. 4. That means drivers tend to follow the speed limits in residential areas, at least.
Zoom out: The New York, Boston and Portland, Oregon, metros have the nation's safest roadways.
- "Larger metros tend to perform better overall for roadway safety, despite popular misconceptions that big cities are more dangerous," the report's authors wrote.
State of play: San Antonio's Vision Zero plan aims to completely eliminate traffic deaths by making roads safer.
- 96 deaths and 366 serious injuries from vehicle crashes were recorded in 2023, the most recent year reported in the city's Vision Zero plan. Fatal and severe crashes have increased from pre-pandemic levels, per the plan.
- Late last year, the city's Transportation Department identified in an interactive map the most dangerous roads in San Antonio.
What's next: With the help of a federal grant, the city is establishing a "quick build" program to more swiftly deliver projects that meet the goals of Vision Zero and the city's Bike Network Plan.
- District 1 Councilmember Sukh Kaur said at a City Council meeting this month that she's working toward a longer-term solution for quick-build projects that the grant will help the city test out.