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Date: 11/27/2023
SPRINGFIELD — Forty-eight pairs of yellow shoes lined the steps of the Springfield Central Library on Nov. 19, World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, to recognize the individuals in Hampden County who lost their lives on the roadways this year.
WalkBike Springfield joined with BikePed Holyoke for this annual event, which takes place on the third Sunday of November.
Betsy Johnson from WalkBike Springfield explained that this is a worldwide movement that was started in 1995 by the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims.
She went on to say that the color of the day is yellow, which is why there are 48 pairs of yellow shoes representing the victims.
Johnson noted that this marks the third straight year being on the steps of the library on State Street, because over the last 17 years, there have been three fatalities in this area.
In addition to recognizing the victims, Johnson said it is also important to recognize the first responders who deal with these crashes.
On behalf of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, proclamations were read by WalkBike representatives.
State Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) said members of the Legislature have tried to do what they can to make the streets safer by putting laws in place, giving community funding to slow down traffic and have law enforcement enforce those laws.
Oliveira said he, state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and state Rep. Shirley Arriaga (D-Chicopee) who also represent the city of Chicopee, were able to secure $50,000 in the last fiscal year 2024 budget for the flashers that are along roadways to alert people about pedestrian crosswalks. The funding was also used to implement speed bumps along Front Street in Chicopee, to slow down traffic and ensure that people walking, biking or enjoying the outdoors can do so in a safe manner, he shared.
“When we talk and we remember folks here today, it’s also about making sure that our public officials put in place the proper laws and procedures in order to help prevent these accidents from ever happening again,” Oliveira said.
He noted that there is work to be done.
Before moving into the remembrance part of the ceremony, Pastor Willie Ballard of the Church of the Living God in Chicopee said a prayer.
Deborah Huber from WalkBike Springfield then read the names of the 48 victims to road violence since last year’s gathering. She noted that this includes November and December 2022.
Of the 48 individuals who perished, 19 were from Springfield and 13 were from Chicopee alone.
After reading the name and information about each person, Huber asked participants to come up and take their ribbon and attach it to a pair of shoes in memory of them.
An important message that Huber said she would like to get out is that the state has adopted a four-foot passing law. “Everyone who drives on the road, if you’re passing a vulnerable road user — that is a cyclist, a walker, a policeman, a construction worker, someone in a wheelchair or a scooter, anyone who is not in an armored vehicle, a 2,000-ton machine is a vulnerable road user — and you must, please, give them, give us, give me, at least four feet when you pass them,” she said.
Johnson recognized the issue on State Street and said the police cannot be here at all times, flashing their lights to get people to slow down.
She also recognized folks from the library who did a two-day standout in July for librarian Gayle Ball who was struck and killed in November 2021. Since then, Johnson said no change has happened.
Jes Slavin from the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, a part of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition, shared that she has been one of the members working to establish World Day of Remembrance events throughout the state. In addition to the event in Springfield, she said there were also events taking place in Somerville, Worcester and Pittsfield.
“In Massachusetts, we had almost 300 fatalities to date on our roadways and almost 2,000 serious injuries in our roadways in 2023. That is far too many,” Slavin said.
She went on to say that MassBike is “proud” to work with “great legislators” to get an act to reduce traffic fatalities passed this year, which includes the four-foot passing along with some other roadway safety measures.
Nonetheless, she noted that it is time to invest in infrastructure changes.
Slavin said she has heard concerns from people across the state who say that roadway infrastructure will add a couple of minutes to their commute. “Two minutes added to your commute isn’t going to kill you but not acting and not building infrastructure could very well kill someone else,” she shared.
Springfield City Council President Jesse Lederman has been a strong advocate for these safety upgrades.
Lederman recognized the individuals who came out in remembrance of loved ones. “We know that coming forward, reliving that today, is not something you necessarily look forward to but that you know is important as we seek to see the changes made in our community that we know must happen.”
Lederman shared that he was “saddened” for everyone to be here again but knows that the city will continue to come together and come forward until the changes that must be implemented come to fruition.
He said the State Street site at which everyone was standing has become “a beacon of the challenges” that are seen in infrastructure across the city, state and nation, but it does not have to be that way. “We need to see this work prioritized in the city of Springfield, just as we need to see it prioritized in other communities,” Lederman shared.
He continued, “We need to see the appointment of the complete streets council in the city of Springfield so that all of these roadway improvements we hear about, they’re being funded, and the infrastructure grants are actually meeting the needs of the community — not just on paper but also in practice.”
Lederman said that while he will no longer be on the City Council come January 2024 as his term comes to an end, “Community solidarity is forever,” and he looks forward to continuing to work with others until these changes are made.
As the ceremony ended, Johnson said, “We will hope that next year we are not standing on these same steps,” and is hopeful that there will be “many, many, many fewer pairs of shoes.”