Trees make for Safer Streets

Zhu, Sze, and Newnam report that a “street tree is considered a traffic calming measure.”  Findings from the Zhu, Sze, and Newnam study “indicate that road width, bus stop, tram station, on-street parking, and 85th percentile speed are positively associated with pedestrian casualty. In contrast, pedestrian casualty decreases when there is a pedestrian crosswalk and increases in tree density and canopy. . . . urban street trees should have favorable effect on pedestrian safety. . . . findings are reflective of optimal street design and traffic calming measures like reducing the crossing distance, reducing the speed limit, removing the on-street parking, and introducing the pedestrian-priority zone.”

Manman Zhu, N. Sze, and Sharon Newnam. 2022. “Effect of Urban Street Trees on Pedestrian Safety: A Micro-Level Pedestrian Casualty Model Using Multivariate Bayesian Spatial Approach.”  Accident Analysis and Prevention, vol. 176, 106818, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2022.106818