Pro-Pedestrian Activism

After some high profile incidents in Lexington highlighted the ability of drivers to murder pedestrians without consequence, some folks decided to get together and do something about it:

Last week, roughly 42 volunteers were stationed at 24 high-traffic intersections throughout Lexington from 7 to 9 a.m. to count the number of drivers who ran red lights. Volunteers represented 10 out of 12 Lexington council districts. In addition to Frontrunners Lexington, who led last week’s effort, John’s Run/Walk Shop, West Sixth Running Club, Broomwagon and Lexington Week Without Driving were community partners who participated and promoted the count. Kentucky statute requires drivers to come to a complete stop before entering an intersection when there is a red light, including when turning right on red. If a driver fails to come to a complete stop prior to entering the intersection when the light is red, the driver is breaking the law. Curtis took one of the first volunteer shifts Monday morning, monitoring the intersection of Nicholasville and Reynolds roads. In the first hour, she recorded 148 red light runners — more than two per minute. Only one was pulled over by a police officer, Curtis said.

Emma Curtis, the first trans woman elected to the Lexington City Council, is a member of Frontrunners Lexington and made pedestrian safety a cornerstone of her campaign. Obviously there’s a long way to go and the forces that are making pedestrian and cyclist death more common- primarily large cars and a culture of unsafe driving- but this is an area where concerted action between grassroots activism and local government has the potential to make a least a little bit of positive change.