As I've said, our infrastructure is very hostile to walkers and bikers. Intersections are more dangerous than Jay walking due to high speed right hand turns, where the turner is looking away from the sidewalk, people running red light, left turn after yielding where again the driver is looking the wrong way.
Crossing in the middle of a road the drivers are looking straight down the road, only 2 directions of traffic, and no expectations that cars will stop.
Further, the majority of pedestrian deaths occur on high speed roads without sidewalks.
I was personally hit by a car as kid biking along a 50 mph road with no sidewalks. I was riding in the grass, hit a mud puddle that turned me out into the road. Half a second either way I probably would've been killed. All because we as a society will spend billions subsizing cars but would spend the tiny percent extra to put in a sidewalk.