To commemorate traffic death victims and discuss safety plans, over 100 people gathered at Rosetta Place Park on Wednesday morning, just a few blocks from where a car struck and killed a biker, David Winston Morris, earlier this month.
Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson spoke about the progress already made on street safety, while emphasizing a need for more work.
“While we have 220 miles of on-street bike lanes and eight miles of protected bikeways, 64 miles of shared use paths, and 70 miles of neighborhood greenways, five pedestrian bicycle bridges over our beautiful Willamette River, we're just getting started,” she said. “This is the work of the past 50 years. This next 50 years can be even more impactful for our community.”
Ten years ago, Eugene committed to a Vision Zero goal of no deaths on streets. The plan includes mapping out the most dangerous streets in Eugene and implementing structural changes, like bike facility improvements and adding roundabouts in high crash areas.
Sarah Mazze, the Safe Routes to School coordinator, said she acknowledges the time it takes to shift infrastructure and policy, but hopes the city can take small action soon.
“I see other communities making quick, inexpensive, and often more temporary changes,” she said. “That's what I would love to see Eugene do, is take more interim steps to immediately address problem areas while working towards the longer term permanent changes.”
Mazze also spoke to the personal effect of the loss of her former neighbor, a father of her daughter’s friend, who was also killed in a crash.
“It’s really hard to think of a peer of my daughter growing up without a father and having that intense loss,” she said. “It just brings home how consequential each moment can be, and we go through so much of our lives without really paying attention. People really need to be present when they are driving.”
Daniel Gyekye, the Executive Secretary of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, also spoke at the event.
He said the recent loss of two UO students, Erick Njue and Elizabeth Cardenas Figueroa, has raised awareness of the issue of traffic deaths in Eugene.
“A truly inclusive community is one where everyone, regardless of how they move, can travel with confidence and care,” Gyekye said. “Whether walking, biking, taking the bus, or driving, we all share responsibility for creating that environment.”One step to improve the street environment is a partnership between ASUO and the graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, culminating in a Safety Signage Campaign.
“We are installing safety signs to encourage awareness, attentiveness, and shared responsibilities,” Gyekye said. “Our message is simple: slow down, stay aware, look out for one another.”
Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner says there will be more traffic enforcement on streets with prior traffic deaths, including River Road, Highway 99, Patterson St and Hilyard St.
