New York City Ranks Second Safest For Pedestrians

This is the question at hand: do you currently think that New York City is a safe city for pedestrians?

Honestly, as quite the opposite of what some would call a city person - my answer leans more towards no. I feel like anytime i'm on foot in NYC, even when on a crosswalk and having the sign, i'm still navigating the streets like a game of Frogger.

Well, this particular sneaker company took a deep dive into the safest, and not so great cities for pedestrians, and surprisingly, NYC did very well.

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Walk Scores Put NYC Towards the Top

For their 2026 analysis, KURU took a look at 'Walk Scores' and pedestrian fatality data across 35 major cities, and looked into the factors that make those cities on the top ten list have the greatest safety advantage while traveling by foot.

Only those city areas with 500,000 or more in their population were analyzed, and KURU also looked at walkability in the city based on 'access to amenities, population density and street design (aka the Walk Score). The total possible pedestrian safety score was 100.

New York City, surprisingly, fell short only to Boston, with a total safety score of 84 (to Boston's 88) and a walk score of 88 (to Boston's 83). New York City data showed that the number of pedestrian deaths (per 100,000 people) was slightly hire than Boston 1.55 (NY) to 1.09 (BOS).

The others rounding out the top ten include (in chronological ranking order) Louisville, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Seattle and LA.

Where Are The Most Dangerous Cities For Pedestrians?

On the other end of the spectrum, those cities that have a significantly lower safety and walk score, and a higher number of pedestrian deaths.

At the bottom of the list, beginning with number 26, Memphis, Fort Worth, Nashville, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Tucson, Phoenix, Mesa, Jacksonville, and Albuquerque last at 35th. Check out a complete list of the safest and most dangerous cities for pedestrians, along with tips for safer travel by foot and car across these cities.

Touring the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in NYC

On this particular trip, we dedicated an entire day to the September 11 Memorial and Museum which was an unforgettable experience.

We didn't know what to expect getting off the subway, but when we came upon the reflection pools, the mood changed entirely. The city is eerily quiet around Ground Zero as if setting the stage for the experience you are about to encounter. An experience you will never forget.

We walked around the pools, taking in all of the names listed and coming upon white roses every so often. Roses that have been placed in remembrance of those lost 17 years ago. At each rose, I found myself pausing and thinking about placing a rose there for one of my loved ones.

Gallery Credit: Jess