Americans Are Walking 36% Less Since Covid
A “universal” decline in walking trips from 2019 to 2022 comes as pedestrian deaths hit a record high, according to a new report. But there’s a bright spot.
Pedestrians cross the street in NYC on Oct. 30, 2023. Walking activity has declined across the US since the start of the pandemic.
Photographer: Angus Mordant/BloombergAcross the US, walking activity has declined sharply since the start of the pandemic, even as pedestrian deaths climbed to a 40-year high last year. Meanwhile, cycling trips have soared.
Between 2019 and 2022, annual average daily walking trips fell by 36% nationwide, according to a new report published Thursday by the transportation analytics firm StreetLight Data. Every state in the contiguous US and the 100 most populated metropolitan areas saw a drop of at least 20%.