As technology continues to expand rapidly and cars and roads continue to increase at a steady pace, getting from one place to another without a car is no longer just inconvenient—it’s impossible. In communities like McLean, daily life is built upon speed, and the surrounding infrastructure reflects it.
The shift towards efficiency is reflected in multiple dimensions of society. In this modern age, people have only continued to grow busier and busier, and the need for speed has soared with it. While students are taught at school that writing and thinking under time constraints are the key to success, workers are trained to maximize their productivity under constant deadlines and quotas.
The result is a culture that values getting somewhere quickly over experiencing the journey itself. People are so focused on reaching their destinations that stopping to walk—let alone enjoy it—has become rare.
According to a study from MIT, the average walking speed of pedestrians has increased 15 percent in the past thirty years, while the number of people lingering in public spaces declined by 14 percent. This means that people are either forced to walk faster or don’t venture into cities at all.
To keep up with this demand for speed, more towns, such as Fairfax County, continue to invest heavily in roads.
According to a Fairfax County Report, the county has approved a $3.9 billion Transportation Priorities Plan (TPP) for the 5-year period of FY 2025-2030, which includes funding for new road construction, road widenings and other transportation improvements.
Despite these recent investments, roads still continue to be unsafe for many pedestrians, as the number of roads and their configuration makes it difficult to have adequate protection at many crosswalks.
“On my 30 minute walk home from the library, I had to cross four separate highway entrances,” sophomore Ishha Sandhu said. “In fact, multiple of those crosswalks were located right after a blind corner, making it even more unsafe. ”
However, this trend is not simply limited to the McLean region; it continues to plague the entire nation.
According to Ralph Buhler, professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech, people walk less in the U.S. compared to other countries because the walking conditions are worse here. As more pedestrians feel unsafe walking, they are encouraged to drive instead, compounding the city problem.
The consequence of this lack of adequate safety measures is devastating.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, drivers struck and killed 3,024 people walking during the first half of 2025, an average of 16 per day, according to a new data analysis from GHSA.
McLean should encourage walking by creating roads that have proper protection for pedestrians, such as more stoplights at crosswalks—especially in extremely busy and fast moving areas. Only when roads are safe will people finally start to start driving less and walking more.
According to the Mayo Clinic, walking improves cardiovascular health, strengthens bones, reduces excess body fat and boosts muscle power and endurance.
Although building new infrastructure and safety protection can be extremely costly, the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. No price can be placed on human safety. Additionally, investing in safer communities not only protects lives today, but also sets a standard for future generations: encouraging healthier habits, stronger neighborhood and a culture that values people over convenience.
