On Friday, November 14th, local members of the NYS Safe Streets Coalition, Albany Bicycle Coalition, Walkable Albany, Capital Streets, Families for Safe Streets, New York Bicycling Coalition, elected leaders, officials and others gathered in recognition of the victims of traffic violence in Albany County and the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The event was held in Academy Park across from Albany City Hall.
Speakers included:
- Ed Brennan, President Albany Bicycle Coalition
- Sandy Misiewicz, Executive Director Capital Region Transportation Council
- David Galin, Chief of Staff for Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan
- Patty Sawyer, mother of Roger Sawyer, killed by a speeding driver on Washington Ave Ext
- NYS Senator, Pat Fahy
- Jake Eisland, Chief of Staff for NYS Assemblymember Gabriella Romero
- James Rath, Capital Streets
- Jackie Gonzales, Capital Streets and Walkable Albany
- Bill Ferris, AARP NY
- Albany Mayor-Elect Dorcey Applyrs
- Erica Schneider, of Parks and Trails New York
Together we read the names of pedestrians and cyclists who have died in traffic collisions in Albany County since 2020. We are asking our City, Village and Town governments to commit to Vision Zero, the elimination of needless deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic crashes. All people in Albany County have a right to safe transportation.
Traffic violence in Albany County is preventable but has gotten consistently worse.
- In 2022 Albany County saw the most traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries since data recording and presentation began in 2014 by the Institute for Traffic Safety and Management. This was surpassed in 2023 and surpassed again in 2024. See https://itmsmr.org
- Falling fatalities and serious injuries in the City of Albany and other places that have instituted policies to reduce speeds and make roads safer show that local governments can reduce these tragedies.
- The deaths in the last year of Gregory Browne, Charles Allendorph, John Bonds, Felipa Martinez-Garcia, Migdalia Aulet, and too many others were not accidents and were preventable.
Traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis. There are proven strategies, including safer speeds and safer road design that save lives and prevent serious injuries. On World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, communities all over the globe organized events to demand change. Helsinki, with the same sorts of arterials and highways that Albany County has and over twice the population, just celebrated a year without a traffic fatality. They achieved this because they made a commitment to Vision Zero and took the actions necessary to save the lives and limbs of their citizens. The Cities, Towns and Villages of Albany County need to make that commitment to the people that live here.
Albany Bicycle Coalition 