Lancaster, Pittsburgh named safest cities for walkers

Two Pennsylvania cities were recently ranked on the top 10 list of the safest areas for pedestrians in the country.

According to Curbed.com, who ranked the cities, walkers in this country are now seven times more likely to be killed walking than in a natural disaster.

Lancaster, which was ranked seventh overall, offers several walking trails, some old railroad tracks redone.

Lancaster Association of Realtors® President Lynn Zimmerman said that “good schools, good family units with strong moral teaching and caring law enforcement” are the top reasons Lancaster ranks above most cities in the country for walkers’ safety.

Additionally, Zimmerman said the housing market is “strong with low inventory.” However, affordable rentals can be hard to find, making living in Lancaster a bit of a challenge for low-income residents. But the city offers a good tourist industry, he said, as well as a “very diversified economy which helps balance highs and lows in the economy.”

In Pittsburgh, pedestrian safety is a top priority. In the city, ranked ninth on the list, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership worked to bring more awareness to pedestrian safety in October. Actors dressed as zombies and the Grim Reaper surprised pedestrians who weren’t paying attention, thanks to their phones.

Ahead of the trend, the city launched WalkPittsburgh.org a few years ago, which encourages residents to walk when they can. The website and app provide walkable routes, safety tips and walkers can even sign in to log miles for their neighborhoods, and see how much gas they saved by walking.

Overall, Colorado Springs was named the safest city for walkers, while Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL was named the least.