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In McLean, traveling without a car can feel nearly impossible. Roads designed to move vehicles quickly often leave pedestrians navigating busy intersections, highway entrances and crosswalks with limited protection.

Sophomore Ishha Sandhu described crossing four separate highway entrances during a 30-minute walk home from the library. Several crosswalks came immediately after blind corners, Sandhu said, making the route even more dangerous.

Fairfax County has approved a $3.9 billion Transportation Priorities Plan covering fiscal years 2025 through 2030. The plan includes money for new roads, road widening and other transportation improvements. Yet continued investment in transportation has not eliminated the hazards facing people on foot.

The problem extends beyond McLean. Ralph Buehler, a Virginia Tech professor of urban affairs and planning, has said Americans walk less than people in other countries partly because walking conditions are worse in the United States. When pedestrians feel unsafe, they are more likely to drive, reinforcing communities’ dependence on cars.

The consequences can be deadly. An analysis by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that drivers struck and killed 3,024 pedestrians during the first half of 2025—an average of 16 deaths each day.

Modern life’s emphasis on speed may also be changing how people experience public spaces. An MIT study found that average pedestrian walking speeds increased 15% over 30 years, while the number of people lingering in public areas fell 14%.

McLean should make walking safer by adding stronger pedestrian protections, including more traffic signals at crosswalks in especially busy, fast-moving areas. Although infrastructure upgrades can be expensive, safer streets could reduce risks and make driving less necessary.

Walking also carries significant health benefits. The Mayo Clinic says it can improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and increase muscular endurance and power.

Investing in pedestrian safety would protect residents now while helping create healthier, more connected neighborhoods for future generations. In a community built around convenience and speed, people traveling on foot should not be an afterthought.