Raleigh and Cary rank among the most dangerous metropolitan areas in the country for pedestrians, according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership and Transportation for America.

The Raleigh and Cary area rank sixth, after Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville in Florida, and Memphis.

Forty-three pedestrians were killed in accidents in Raleigh and Cary from 2007 to 2008, the report says.

But some pedestrians don't consider it risky to walk in Raleigh.

"For the most part, I feel that I can walk and not feel in danger," said Thomas Parrish, who works in Raleigh.

Others think differently. Jason Cole, who lives in downtown Raleigh, says cars don't respect crosswalks.

"Pedestrians also jaywalk a great deal and cross the street when they shouldn't cross the street. So there's fault on both sides in my opinion," he said.

The report points the finger at local and federal government for designing roads for cars, not pedestrians; and for not spending enough on improving roads for pedestrians.

"I think it paints an unfair picture of the city," said Eric Lamb, manager of the Transportation Services Division at the Raleigh Public Works Department. "I also don't think it gives us credit for the measures that we've taken in the last couple of years to specifically improve pedestrian safety."

Raleigh doubled the amount of money it spends for pedestrian improvements in the past three years, according to Lamb. The city started a policy that every new roadway project include sidewalks on both sides. And it applied for state funding for a pedestrian safety study, he added.

"I think what you are seeing now both locally and nationally is more of a move toward complete streets. And that is measures that are taken to make the street environment more universally accessible for all modes of transportation and for all types of users," Lamb said.