Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety

Communities across the United States are facing record numbers of pedestrian fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in 2022, 7,522 people were struck and killed while walking on US roadways, a shocking 75 percent increase in such deaths since 2010. This correlates to approximately one pedestrian killed every 70 minutes on US roads. Meanwhile, more than 65,000 pedestrians were injured in that same year, marking an 11% increase from the previous year. These deaths and serious injuries disproportionately impact black and brown communities, lower-income neighborhoods, and older adults.

This cohort will give mayors the tools and knowledge to make immediate safety improvements on their most dangerous streets and examples of longer-term, systemic changes that can be made to address this growing issue.

Over the course of 2025, mayors who are selected for the Institute will participate in five virtual sessions led by topic experts on different components of pedestrian safety policy and will receive a variety of tools and resources to support their work.

• Support Network from Peer Mayors: Each session will provide ample discussion time for attendees to share and discuss their challenges with the topic expert and their fellow mayors.
• Hands-On Learning: At the end of the cohort, participating mayors will gather in-person for a final meeting to tour demonstration projects and discuss what takeaways have been most valuable to each participant, as well as an overview of each cohort member’s implementation goals.
• National Visibility for Work: MIPS partners will document and share participating mayors’ work on pedestrian safety through the cohort. This may include video content, articles, and highlighting content on websites and newsletters.
• One-on-One Coaching: Finally, mayors will develop a brief implementation plan outlining short-, medium- and long-term strategies their city can implement moving forward to create safer streets with one-on-one support from Smart Growth America’s Transportation for America program, a leading national organization.

Participating mayors will be expected to attend five, 1 ½ hour virtual workshops taking place monthly between June and October 2025, as well as an in-person, day-long kickoff meeting in May 2025. Travel costs will be covered, in accordance with any state and local ethics rules governing gifts, travel and expenses.

Workshop topics will include:

• Understanding the Pedestrian Safety Crisis – A deep dive into what is causing the rise in pedestrian deaths in the United States and what cities need to do to help stem the tide.
• Working With Governmental Partners – This session will focus on building successful partnerships with regional and state governments in order to create a comprehensive strategy for protecting pedestrians.
• Funding – This session will highlight the financial resources available to cities to improve conditions for pedestrians, including state and federal funding as well as best practices for local resource allocation.
• The Role of Land Use in Pedestrian Safety – This session will focus on the importance of land use planning and zoning in creating walkable cities.
• Community Engagement and Communications – A session designed to help mayors make the case for walkability, engage the community in an equitable and representative way, and distill complicated policy and infrastructure challenges for a non-technical audience.

Any current United States mayor may apply.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by representatives from the Mayors Innovation Project, AARP Livable Communities, and Smart Growth America. Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria below. Only complete applications will be considered. Applicants that best meet the stated criteria will receive a formal invitation to participate by March 14th.

MIPS is interested in mayors and cities from a variety of geographies who want to positively impact their community by reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths on their streets, have commitment and will take the necessary tangible steps, are prepared to lead on the issue in their community and act as a champion for the cause, and will fully participate in the activities of the Institute.

• Commitment: This includes how the public has been and will be engaged, a willingness to alter city policy, shift funding priorities, and invest in infrastructure that will create meaningful change, especially for marginalized communities including historically disinvested neighborhoods, racial minorities, and older adults. (50%)
• Impact: This includes a clearly identified need and opportunity to impact pressing, concrete and specific challenges facing their community. (30%)
• Leadership: While prior experience or tangible results focused on pedestrian safety are not required, applicants should highlight their preparedness to make pedestrian safety a high priority. (20%)
• Program Participation: As a requirement for consideration,  Mayors need to agree to fully participate in each aspect of the Institute as described above.

The Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety will also look to form a cohort that represents a variety of states, regions, and communities, as well as a diversity of Mayors.

Interested mayors can apply at the bottom of this page. Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 28th.

Selected applicants will be notified no later than Saturday, March 14th and cohort members will be announced on Tuesday, April 25th.