We of Ulster County are reeling from the tragic loss of four young people due to traffic violence: Dylan Gokey, 16, Jack Noble, 17, Starllie Swonyoung, 21, and Raymond Rattray, 22. In the space of just a couple of weeks, we have suffered three horrific fatal crashes. My thoughts are with the family and friends of those killed.

Much attention has been laid on the fact that both Starllie and Raymond were killed by hit-and-run drivers. I believe that the drivers that killed them and then fled the scene should be held responsible and punished. But there has been a lack of media coverage surrounding the environments in which they were killed, which also played a significant role in their deaths.

Both Starllie and Raymond were pedestrians, walking on streets without sidewalks in low-light conditions. Both were on the edge of town, where speeds of cars often pick up due to design. They were in areas that have poor public transit service. Both were walking to or from housing, in an environment which basically treats pedestrians as if they don’t exist.

These deaths were preventable.

As I travel through Ulster County, I often see pedestrians in places that were clearly designed without them in mind. Parents pushing baby carriages along the shoulder of Route 32. Shoppers and employees waiting for a break in traffic to cross the 5 lanes separating Walmart from the other side of the street. The problem is endemic, and tragedy is inevitable.

To address the problem and pursue the worthy goal of zero traffic deaths, we need to change the way things are done. We need to change our priorities and learn from places that have already nearly eliminated traffic deaths, like Oslo, Helsinki and Hoboken, N.J. — all of which have committed to Vision Zero.

Here are the principles of Vision Zero:

Traffic deaths and injuries are preventable.
Human life and health are prioritized within all aspects of transportation systems.
Human error is inevitable, and transportation systems should be forgiving.
Safety work should focus on systems-level change above influencing individual behavior.
Speed is recognized as the fundamental factor in crash severity.

In addition to adopting Vision Zero, it’s time we think holistically. We need to create more affordable housing in places that are already walkable and create new walkable and bikeable neighborhoods — we should not be pushing people of modest means out of our towns. We need massive investments to get our public transit systems up to speed.

We should not have to wait until someone else dies to get this done.

Update: A petition has been created calling for sidewalks on Route 208 where Raymond was killed.

For more of Sweeten the Streets, visit Ella Kondrat's Substack here.