"The goal is to make it a more pedestrian friendly place, and we have made big differences in helping pedestrians get around safely," Seiderman says. "Pedestrians are the life blood of Harvard Square, so we would like to see what things we can do to make it even better."
The statistics help support this optimism, with a 1998 study conducted by the STTP ranking the Boston-area as second safest behind Pittsburgh among 47 major cities in pedestrian safety.
"I think it is a continual process of working on things, like educating pedestrians about finding the spots where they can cross," says city Councillor Henrietta Davis, who has advocated increased traffic safety. "My hope is that over time we will be able to celebrate Cambridge as a safe pedestrian city."