Despite more than a decade of Beltline openings, numerous protective bike lane installations, and one realized PATH Foundation project after the next, Atlanta still doesn’t rank among the safest big cities in the U.S. for getting around without a vehicle.
In fact, according to a new nationwide analysis, Atlanta is slotted disconcertingly high on a list of urban places where fatalities for non-drivers are most common.
The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists & Pedestrians study was compiled by Wagner Reese, an Indianapolis-based injury law firm, amid what analysts describe as a “national safety crisis” despite years of Vision Zero campaigns and other safety measures.
According to federal data, more than 3,300 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. in the first half of 2024 alone, and cyclist fatalities are at an all-time high this year, per the study.
The Atlanta Beltline's Eastside Trail, a bastion of bicyclist and pedestrian safety during a rare uncrowded moment in 2024. Shutterstock
The analysis ranked nearly 300 cities with populations of 100,000 or more using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fatality data, state safety reports, and Walk and Bike Scores. Each was scored from 0 to 100, with lower scores being better. The intent was to spotlight “where poor infrastructure and reckless driving put lives most at risk,” per Wagner Reese.
The bad news? Data for Atlanta earned it the dubious distinction of being the No. 24 most dangerous U.S. city for cyclists and pedestrians in 2025, according to the analysis.
Atlanta’s overall risk score was 65.6.
Contrast that against scores for the top three “safest” cities in the country, per Wagner Reese: New York City (overall risk score, 5.9); Irvine, Calif. (6.2); and Boston (10.4).
Here’s a snapshot of Atlanta versus the top 10 safest:
Data for Atlanta as the country's No. 24 most dangerous city for biking and walking, per the study. Courtesy of Wagner Reese
A closer look at data for the analysis' top 10 in the positive category. Courtesy of Wagner Reese
However ironic, the study found that some of America’s most traffic-heavy and crowded cities are also among the safest places for people on bike and food.
New York City’s 11.8 fatalities per 100,000 residents is more than 13 times lower than Baton Rouge, which the study found to be the most dangerous city in the land. (NYC’s Walk Score of 88 didn’t hurt, either.)
More broadly, the study found that cities in the South and Southwest “are more frequently named in the top 20 dangerous cities list, while the safest cities are mostly in the Northeast and Midwest.” Hmmm.
In 2025, Georgia neighbor Florida has emerged as a “hotspot” on the bad list, with five cities in the top 20, including tourist magnets Miami and Orlando, per a study recap.
Courtesy of Wagner Reese
The study's top 20 ranking of safest U.S. cities for pedestrians and bicyclists right now. Courtesy of Wagner Reese
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