Gone but Not Forgotten in San Jose

Over 80 people gathered downtown for the memorial walk.

Family members carrying a sign reading “I walk for traffic safety.”

On Sunday, November 17, over 80 people gathered in downtown San Jose to stand alongside communities all across the world in remembrance of our friends, family members, and neighbors killed in traffic crashes. For the third year in a row, Walk San Jose worked with the San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets to organize a memorial walk and vigil to not only celebrate and honor the 50 people who have been killed so far in 2019 and the thousands killed and injured in years past but also to call on our elected leaders to take immediate action. Nothing could demonstrate the urgency of making our streets safer for everyone than the death of a 2-year-old boy who was hit and killed in his neighborhood during the World Day of Remembrance event. 

At City Hall, family members display pictures, posters, and candles to honor their loved ones.

Outside City Hall, family members gathered to share stories of their loved ones’ lives and to demand our City take action to prevent any more deaths on our streets. Gina LaBlanc, who lost her son in a crash, called traffic deaths in San Jose a public health crisis. Pushing back against the tendency to reduce traffic deaths to simple data points, Gina and other families made it clear that we must humanize each death to fully reflect the collective grief and loss that happens. Family members expressed the need for City leaders to look beyond just statistics. When the City fails to act after a fatality by making the necessary street design improvements, they dismiss a family’s pain. 

In San Jose, around 50 people die in traffic crashes every year. This year, over half were killed while walking or biking. We - community members, advocates, City staff, elected officials - need to stop accepting traffic fatalities as the cost of doing business. We’re urging San Jose’s leaders to invest in public spaces and infrastructure to create streets that put people first in the next annual budget. 

Family members carrying a sign reading “If you see kids, slow down” on the walk to promote awareness of traffic safety.

In January, the City Council will meet to discuss the upcoming Vision Zero Action Plan and funding for complete streets infrastructure. If you want to get involved in our campaign to secure dedicated funding for complete streets, please contact Theresa Do at theresa@calwalks.org.