Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities Holding Memorial on Friday for People Killed by Cars
This is a press release from the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities:
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities and allies will be holding a memorial for people killed by cars in Humboldt County at 5:30 pm on Friday, August 27th, 2021, at the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka.
In the last decade, at least 80 people in Humboldt County have been killed by drivers while walking, biking, skateboarding, or rolling in a wheelchair. The county is consistently ranked among the most dangerous in the state for people walking and biking. Too often, the lives of these people killed on our streets are minimized or ignored, or the victims blamed for their own deaths. That is unacceptable.
This event will be a gathering for friends and families to remember those who have been killed, and for community members to acknowledge and honor the losses. At the event, the names of those killed will be read aloud, friends and family members may speak about their lost loved ones if they wish, and actions to prevent future tragedies will be discussed. There will also be a short, silent walk of commemoration in downtown Eureka, where participants will contemplate the vulnerability of pedestrians in the current streetscape.
The event will be led by Rev. Molly Cate, and social workers will be present to provide support for those grieving. This is a public, outdoor event, and all are encouraged to attend and pay their respects. Attendees are requested to wear masks, keep 6 feet apart from people not in their households, and follow all other public health guidelines and traffic laws during the event.
For more information about the Coalition, visit www.transportationpriorities.org.
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities and allies will be holding a memorial for people killed by cars in Humboldt County at 5:30 pm on Friday, August 27th, 2021, at the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka.
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It only takes a few minutes traveling the streets of Humboldt County to realize we no longer live in a civilized society. Last month I actually observed 5 bicycle riders who stopped at stop signs and traffic lights. Out of the hundreds I observe monthly, that’s unacceptable. The number of pedestrians I observe crossing in the streets nowhere near a crosswalk, crossing at signal controlled crosswalks when it isn’t their turn, crossing Broadway halfway and waiting in the suicide lane for the other side to clear and even some who don’t look at all is also unacceptable. Combine this with drivers impaired by drugs, alcohol, phone and computer use, and those that just don’t care blowing stop signs and red lights because they feel entitled and more important than anyone else and you get a small glimpse at why the numbers are so high. EPD does nothing to help with any of these situations. APD doesn’t either. Now, school just started back up and we have middle school and high school students who don’t look or care. They just barge out into traffic wherever they happen to be, not that they have had any kind of good example to look up to.
It’s time to take back the streets EPD and APD. When will you actually get involved? Likely never, as we observed the kind of behavior exhibited by your departments during the riots. And yes, this is meant to be a challenge to you.
This is important! We Americans, especially those of us here in the West, need to wake up about our dependency on and the allowances we make for our ‘car culture’. We become blinded to so may other factors that are the losing end of the vehicle dependent ways we live. Lives have been lost, continue to be at stake, and not just human lives.
Let’s all take a breath. Separate yourself from the ways cars and trucks take up some much importance in our lives. Simply consider the negative effects like the above. Then, I hope I / we can realign our priorities, or at least our awareness, accordingly.
Sounds like an idea, but how can I get to work tomorrow without my car? I couldn’t bicycle it on the best of days. Fieldbrook to Eureka is not on any bus routes I know of
Seamus. I am not advocating for not using vehicles at all. I am more pragmatic than that. The first step in the direction away from our dependence on cars and trucks is being mindful of the way they dominate our lives. Then each of us can make decisions and help encourage a diversity of infrastructure to help us have better ways to move around.
” Too often, the lives of these people killed on our streets are minimized or ignored, or the victims blamed for their own deaths. ” That last part usually happens when they’re responsible for their own deaths, you know.
Just wait until the cars kill everybody through global warming. THEN we can have a seriously large memorial!!