Traffic injuries and deaths are preventable, and we have the cure.

We’ve already planned Seattle’s safe streets upgrades corridor-by-corridor and neighborhood-by-neighborhood. The city’s traffic engineers have studied proven best practices from in town and around the world. The city is essentially holding the traffic violence vaccine in its hands, but we’re still scared to take it.

Join family members of traffic victims, city leaders and safe streets advocates Friday for a Vision Zero Vigil & Procession to remember those who have died in traffic and to raise the call for safe streets for everyone. Meet at 5 p.m. at 2nd and University (invite your friends via Facebook, more event details from Cascade Bicycle Club below).

When Sher Kung rode her bike to her office downtown one year ago this week, the final block of her commute required navigating what was commonly referred to as the city’s worst bike lane: A skinny paint-only lane in the door zone of parked cars and to the left of turning cars and trucks. Many people had been hit over the years, and people had been calling for a safer bike lane for a long time. Plans were in the works to finally fix it, but the city was ten days too late.

Kung died when someone driving a truck turned in front of her at University Street.

She was a new mother when she was killed. Her daughter has not yet turned two years old. (more…)