Broad Street — not Roosevelt Boulevard — is Philly’s most dangerous roadway, says new report

Last year’s 123 traffic deaths on the streets of Philadelphia were 21% below the 2020 peak, according to the city’s new Vision Zero annual report.

But deaths rose sharply among pedestrians, cyclists, and people who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, says the report, which was released Monday.

“People walking, rolling, and biking are what we call vulnerable road users because they are most likely to be injured or killed in the event of a crash,” said Marco Gorini, Vision Zero program manager for the city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. “Room for error is just smaller.”

The severity of crashes is increasing, fueled by higher driving speeds, Gorini said.

Last year, 56 people walking or using a mobility device were killed in Philadelphia crashes, as were nine bicyclists and 13 motorcyclists, according to PennDot data.

By contrast, between 2015 and 2019, an average of 34 pedestrians, four bicyclists, and 44 occupants of motor vehicles were killed in the city. Motorcyclist deaths averaged 13.

Vision Zero aims to eliminate traffic deaths over time with infrastructure changes to roads and crosswalks, education, and increased enforcement. The annual report measures progress, highlights road safety projects, and lays out the coming year’s agenda.

Philadelphia secured $210 million in federal and state grants last year for Vision Zero infrastructure projects. Up next: traffic calming in Hunting Park, on Germantown Avenue and Old York Road, and completion of a roundabout in Penrose.

In addition, the Philadelphia Parking Authority is installing speed-enforcement cameras along the length of Broad Street, beginning in January.

Broad Street now reigns as the most dangerous roadway in the city based on the number of serious-injury and fatal crashes. According to the report, Broad Street has experienced over one traffic death per month in 2024, more than Roosevelt Boulevard, which had been the most dangerous, or any other city street.

Speeding and crashes have dropped on the Boulevard since 2020, when speed cameras were installed there.

Vision Zero concentrates on the High Injury Network, the 12% of city streets where 80% of the most-severe crashes occur. Despite stubbornly high accident numbers, city officials said there has been progress where the program’s projects are built.

Overall, however, aggressive driving habits shaped during the deadliest pandemic years continue to cause accidents, and the growing size and design of SUVs and heavy-duty pickup trucks contribute to making them more severe.

Kelley Yemen, director of multimodal programs for OTIS, said that SUVs and pickups are much bigger than 20 years ago, with taller and flatter front ends.

“When a pedestrian is hit by a large SUV or a truck with a big, flat front end, the pedestrian is likely to go under the vehicle and die,” said Christopher Puchalsky, director of policy and strategic initiatives at OTIS.

“On a small sedan, a pedestrian would hit the hood, roll over and maybe get injured, even seriously — [but] they could survive that,” he said.