Bipartisan bill aims to make it safer for pedestrians to cross dangerous streets

A bill that aims to make it safer to cross busy, dangerous roads and avert rising pedestrian deaths and injuries by requiring states invest in making streets safer is being introduced in Congress on Tuesday by two Ohio lawmakers.

The Save Our Pedestrians Act, introduced by Ohio Reps. Mike Carey, a Republican, and Emilia Sykes, a Democrat, would require that 5% of all funding given to states through the Highway Safety Improvement Program be used for projects aimed at making high-risk pedestrian crossings safer, setting aside about $100 million annually.

"As more pedestrians are injured and killed while walking in crosswalks and on streets without sidewalks, the need to find common-sense solutions to allow people to move around our neighborhoods without fear is critical to the quality of life in our communities," Sykes said in a statement to CBS News. She said the legislation would "require states to set aside federal dollars to make our roads safer for everyone — from pedestrians to motorists."