How racial segregation contributes to disparities in pedestrian safety.

Black-majority block groups in Chicago are disproportionately represented in severe pedestrian crashes relative to their population share.

• Black-majority block groups represent only 24% of Chicago's population.
• These same block groups account for 37% of all severe pedestrian crashes.
• This indicates significant racial disparities in pedestrian safety.
• The study focused on the City of Chicago as an urban area with pronounced racial segregation.

Five major categories of variables were identified as significant predictors of severe pedestrian crashes across racially segregated communities.

• The five categories are: exposure factors, socio-demographic characteristics, indicators of social exclusion, spatial and temporal conditions, and transit accessibility.
• The study employed a Spatial Lag Negative Binomial (SLNB) model to examine crash drivers.
• Analysis was conducted at the Census Block Group level.
• The dataset integrated socio-demographic variables, built environment characteristics, crime rates, and crash records.

Crash risk drivers differ systematically between White-majority and minority-majority neighborhoods.

• Crash risk in White-majority areas is more associated with socio-demographic characteristics.
• Black and Hispanic-majority areas are disproportionately affected by infrastructure deficits.
• Infrastructure deficits identified include poor transit accessibility and inadequate nighttime lighting.
• Distinct patterns associated with segregated communities were highlighted, 'shedding light on unique challenges faced by these groups.'

The study classified Chicago neighborhoods into four community types based on multiple racial segregation indices.

• Neighborhoods were classified into four areas: Black, Hispanic, White-majority, and Mixed communities.
• Multiple indices were employed to characterize racial segregation.
• The dataset was constructed at the Census Block Group level.
• The study integrated multiple data sources to build the analytical dataset.

Racial segregation is identified as a contributing factor to disproportionate pedestrian crash risk in certain racial communities.

• The study investigates racial disparities in the distribution of severe (fatal and injury-related) pedestrian crashes in terms of residential segregation.
• The findings provide insights for city authorities focused on 'enhancing pedestrian safety and dismantling barriers to equitable access to safe walking environments for all communities.'
• Indicators of social exclusion were among the significant predictors identified in the models.
• Chicago was selected as the study area due to its pronounced racial segregation.