Residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in Boston face mobility risk—the danger of being struck while walking or biking—at rates four times higher than those in predominantly white areas, according to new research analyzing emergency medical services data.
The study examined over 3,400 pedestrian and cyclist crashes from 2016 to 2021, revealing a troubling pattern that extends beyond where accidents occur. While previous research focused on crash locations, this analysis tracked where victims actually live, uncovering a deeper disparity.
Researchers found that people from neighborhoods where 97 percent of residents are people of color account for nine in ten victims struck in similar areas. Strikingly, they also represent five in ten victims in predominantly white neighborhoods. This occurs partly because residents of color travel longer distances to reach jobs concentrated in whiter areas.
The disparity proves 1.5 times larger than calculations based solely on crash location would suggest. In practical terms, roughly one in 360 households in the most diverse neighborhoods experiences a traffic injury annually, compared to one in 720 in predominantly white areas.
Several factors contribute to this inequality. Neighborhoods with large populations of color often have fewer nearby jobs, forcing longer commutes. These areas also feature less safe street infrastructure. Additionally, controlled experiments have shown drivers are twice as likely to stop for white pedestrians compared to Black pedestrians at crosswalks.
The findings highlight how health inequities stem not just from conditions in home neighborhoods, but from risks people encounter throughout their daily travels across the city.
See: “Mobility Risk: Using Ambulance Operations Data to Analyze the Spatial and Social Dimensions of Health Disadvantage” (June 3, 2025)
