In the last ten years, there has been a 50 percent increase in pedestrian deaths. In 2018 alone more than 6,000 people were killed while walking in America. Yet, despite the increase in deaths, the tragedy of traffic violence has barely registered with the media and wider culture.
Disproportionately, the victims are immigrants, the poor, and people of color. They have largely been blamed and forgotten. The media barely covers these tragedies as the victims often live in low-income neighborhoods. What appears at first to be “accidental”, under greater scrutiny, reveals itself to be a predictable, stark geographic pattern that tell a story about systemic inequality.
Join SSF,
Island Press and sustainble transportation expert and author of "
Right of Way", Angie Schmitt, on September 24th to examine this important issue. Additional panelists announced next week.