In June, Martavious Parker, 25, was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Rockbridge Road while he was walking home from work. And sadly, Martavious was just one of many to lose his life while walking in Georgia this year.
Pedestrian fatalities increased by over 50
percent during the past three years.
Nearly 260 people were killed in 2017, the worst in history.
And this year is far worse. Each week, four or five people on foot were fatally struck by people driving cars. About half of these wrecks occurred in the Atlanta region.
People who walk, ride bicycles, or use motorcycles account for nearly one-third of all people who lost their lives while traveling in Georgia this year.
To turn this around, it's essential that our elected officials tell transportation professionals to put safety, not minimizing delay to drivers, first. It's up to residents - and the elected officials who represent us - to identify the values that matter most and to determine the vision for our future. Transportation professionals are responsible not for setting the vision, but instead for designing and implementing projects that make that vision a reality.
Elected officials hear plenty of complaints about potholes or traffic congestion. Please speak up and demand safe streets.
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