Press release: Families and Loved Ones Honor Memories of Road Traffic Victims

From The Street Trust:

Families and Loved Ones Honor Memories of Road Traffic Victims

PORTLAND, OR — Dozens of community members will gather at the Rosewood Initiative in Southeast Portland on Sunday to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and honor the memories of friends and loved ones who died as a result of road crashes.

Participants will gather at 12:00 p.m. and take a silent walk of solidarity with road traffic victims’ loved ones and families. Community members who have lost family members to road traffic will give brief remarks and the Rosewood Initiative will feature an art exhibit to raise awareness of the human toll of road crashes. This event is organized by a coalition of organizations including The Street Trust, Families For Safe Streets, and the Rosewood Initiative.

“Nearly 500 people died last year on Oregon roads,” said The Street Trust’s deputy director LeeAnne Fergason, “and it’s critical for those lives to be remembered. We believe that zero deaths and injuries on our streets is possible through initiatives like Vision Zero education and policies, reduced speed postings, and street safety projects. We will have to advocate to make sure Vision Zero becomes a reality.”

Vision Zero is the concept that one death on our streets is too many. According to the City of Portland, Portland families deserve safe streets on which to walk, bike, operate mobility devices, access transit, and drive. The Portland Bureau of Transportation aims to make our transportation system the safest possible and to move toward zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in the next ten years.

“My son was killed on a crosswalk by light rail,” explains Darla Sturdy, ” I joined Families for Safe Streets to push for safe streets so that mothers will not have to go through what I have, and yet another person was killed this month. Join us on Sunday to remember our loved ones and fight for Vision Zero.”

Every member of Families for Safe Streets has a story like Darla’s. They are a group of mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and siblings marching to end traffic violence and take another step towards achieving Vision Zero in Oregon and SW Washington during this year’s World Day of Remembrance event on November 19th.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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