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This week, the Seattle Times reported that deaths on Washington state roads increased 10%, the highest rate of mortality in 33 years. In 2023, 810 people died in motor vehicle crashes on our state’s streets, defying the national trend of falling traffic deaths.
Every one of those deaths is a tragedy, leaving loved ones to mourn and making it painfully clear that we collectively must act quickly and boldly to prevent more senseless loss of life. That’s why during my time as President of the Puget Sound Regional Council I pushed for us to make road safety a top priority in our Regional Transportation Plan. We are working with our county and city partners to take a Safe System approach, which aims to improve traffic safety by anticipating human mistakes and building traffic infrastructure that reduces the risk of injury and death if a crash does happen. We cannot just hope that our roads will become safer—we need to proactively work together to make it happen.
In 2022 I joined Bellevue leaders and city staff on a tour with the chair of the National Traffic Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, to review some of Bellevue's street safety measures
May is National Bike Month, a time to support, encourage, and celebrate all things bicycling. Tomorrow, May 17, is Bike Everywhere Day and Cascade Bicycle Club has got you covered for opportunities to enjoy the day! They have a map of every Celebration Station in our region, places where you can grab coffee and snacks, learn about bike education and advocacy opportunities, and get free bike tune-ups and high fives!
Looking for ways to bike to Sound Transit's new 2 Line? Check out Move Redmond's digital Station Access Maps that highlight Eastside bike routes!
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