While pedestrian fatalities have declined in recent years, the recent deaths of Hannah Engle-struck by a hit-and-run driver-and Andrea Bronfman-struck by a turning driver-highlight the fact that New York’s streets still pose unacceptable hazard to walkers.

The deaths of Ms. Engle and Ms. Bronfman are chillingly representative of pedestrians who are killed at the hands of reckless drivers. According to the last exhaustive analysis of the causes of pedestrian fatalities (1997), the number one and number two leading causes of pedestrian deaths by errant motorists are hit-and-run drivers and drivers turning into pedestrians in the crosswalk respectively.

New York City, because of its density, is a walking city. 40% of all trips in the five boroughs are 1 mile or less in length and 68% of all trips are 3 miles or less in length. More New Yorkers are walking than ever before, as recent pedestrian count data at Times Square and other popular destinations show. Data released today by the New York City Department of Transportation suggest that New Yorkers today are more willing to take to two feet, as walking rates during the recent transit strike were about 14% higher than during the 1980 strike.

The city must do more to protect the increasing number of walking New Yorkers.

There are four street design measures that, if more widely applied, would protect pedestrians from turning vehicles and prevent future tragedies:

1. Provide pedestrians exclusive crossing time so that turning motorists have the red light while pedestrians have the walk signal.

2. Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) or "pedestrian head starts" give pedestrians the signal before motorists, better establishing their presence in the crosswalk and making them more visible to turning motorists.

3. "Neckdowns" - sidewalk extensions at corners, force motorists to make slower, more accurate and safer turns. (pictured above)

4. Raised crosswalks in which the pavement under crosswalks is elevated by 4 inches, again force motorists to slow down when navigating an intersection.

The Department of Transportation should take immediate action to install these preventative measures at more intersections throughout New York City. Today, the DOT has applied these measures at only a handful of intersections.