The national Alliance for Biking and Walking has just released its 2010 Benchmarking Report and the news for South (and North) Carolina is plain awful.

The report shows that while 5% of trips in South Carolina are by bicycle or foot, bicyclists and pedestrians account for 12% of traffic fatalities.

Lack of investment in bicycling and walking could be to blame.  According to the report, South Carolina spends just 0.4% of its federal transportation dollars on biking and walking, ranking 47 among states in the nation for investing in biking and walking. This amounts to just $0.44 per person.

According to Palmetto Cycling Coalition’s Director Rachael Kefalos, “this report highlights not only how poorly South Carolina ranks in terms of levels of bicycling and walking, funding for these programs, and overall safety–but it clearly demonstrates that in order to make our streets safe and inviting for all citizens, and to reverse the obesity epidemic looming over South Carolina, state and local officials must make investing in bicycling and walking a long-term priority.”

See the PCC’s summary of the report at:  http://pccsc.net/pdfs/graphic%20fact%20sheet.pdf