This Sunday, Nov. 19 is the World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims. Locally, a gathering will take place at 3 p.m. in Kingston at Pine Grove and Broadway. This day calls for a commemoration of the people who lost their lives or survived traffic crashes. Joining the assembly will be the families of these victims, survivors, community members, road safety advocates, faith leaders and elected officials.

The event will ask the community and policymakers to prioritize the safety of all road users: fixing deadly intersections, trail crossings, crosswalks and roadways, along with moving a portion of state and federal funding used for roadway maintenance into a fund for creating walkable, bikeable and transit-friendly streets. Organizers say there’s also a need for a new 25 mph speed limit to be an option for all communities in New York, regardless of population or road designation.

The World Day of Remembrance started in 1995, honoring the 1.35 million people killed and millions of others injured on the roads each year. In Ulster County alone, according to ITSMR data sources, 174 people died in car crashes and 34 were killed while walking or biking in the decade spanning 2013-2023. There is also a disproportionate amount of people of color who are victims of these accidents in Ulster County. More info can be found at the ITSMR website here: https://www.itsmr.org/.

“Since 2018 there has been a death or serious injury every other day on the roads and streets of Ulster County,” said County Legislator Phil Erner. “That adds up to a substantial number of local people whose lives have been shattered by traffic violence. That we know how to prevent these deaths and injuries, yet still don’t prioritize fixing this, is a disturbing legacy local policy makers must own.”

In Kingston there have been five cyclist or pedestrian deaths since 2020: Darryl Savage, John “Host” Lynch, Devin Griffiths, Christine Tarasco and Sarah Edwards.

Rose Quinn, one of the event organizers, whose partner, Lynch, was among the victims in recent years, said there’s a lot to do to make the streets safer for all who use them. “While we commend many of our elected officials for supporting efforts to lower speed limits and to adopt new standards that, if implemented correctly, will save lives, we still have so much work ahead in terms of correcting 70 years of policy makers prioritizing asphalt over human life,” Quinn said.

The event will take place near the site of Christine “Rena” Tarasco’s fatal accident in December 2022, where a ghost bike will be dedicated in her honor. Afterwards, there will be a transition to the place where Sarah Edwards was killed this past January. There will be a candlelight vigil and memorial for her.

Select speakers will have a chance to share their stories, including the family of victims, survivors, and community and faith leaders to remember the lives of Chrstine, Sarah and others who lost their lives on the road. The greatest hope, organizers say, is that these gatherings inspire policymakers to make changes to the system to make the community safer for those who use its streets.

More info on the event can be found here.