Poor Roads Threaten Low-Income Neighborhoods

The study, published recently in the American Journal of Public Health, tracked the rates of injury for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists in Montreal over a five-year period. As Schmitt notes, "They found pedestrians living in low-income neighborhoods were more than six times more likely to be injured by a moving vehicle than those from high-income neighborhoods." Injury rates for motorists and cyclists in such areas were higher as well, with each around four times as likely to be injured as those in high-income neighborhoods.

"The reason, researchers said, was 'exposure to traffic.' The study found that low-income neighborhoods were more likely to contain major arterials and four-way intersections - two of the biggest risk factors for those traveling by any mode. The study also found low-income neighborhoods were subject to traffic volumes 2.4 times greater than high-income - one of the best predictors of injury."