San Antonio Marks Silver Anniversary Of World Day Of Remembrance

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

November 13, 2020

San Antonio Marks Silver Anniversary of World Day of Remembrance

Vision Zero San Antonio remembers those who have lost their lives on San Antonio roadways

CONTACT: Joe Conger (210) 207-5010
Joe.Conger@SanAntonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (November 15, 2020) — The City of San Antonio and Vision Zero San Antonio today mark the 25th year of the adoption of World Day of Remembrance, a global event honoring those who have lost their lives to traffic injuries. The United Nations chose the third Sunday of each year as the day to acknowledge the suffering and toll from traffic crashes and seek solutions to stopping the carnage.

In the Alamo City, friends and family members will remember loved ones while communicating the importance of preventing future deaths.

“So far this year, we have lost 134 San Antonians to roadway crashes ,” said Greg Reininger, Principal Transportation Planner for the Public Works Department. “While one death is too many, we remain committed to making our streets safer for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians and reducing that number,” Reininger added.

To bring attention to the day, Vision Zero San Antonio implemented two initiatives:

• Using our website to honor crash victims and share video messages
• Installing temporary signs to bring attention to areas of high crash concern within the community

Beginning Friday, signs will be placed along General McMullen Dr. at Rosedale Park and along San Pedro Ave. at San Pedro Springs Park. The signs are representative of traffic corridors where higher concentrations of fatal and incapacitating crashes have occurred, as outlined in Vision Zero SA’s latest Severe Pedestrian Injury Area report.

Vision Zero has partnered with University Health System to also reveal a pair of videos, in which families who have lost a loved one on San Antonio roads share their stories on VisionZeroSA.com and through social media. Watch the Johnson family video here. Watch the Hernandez family video here.

Planners and engineers with Vision Zero San Antonio, together with the City’s Public Works Department, have several safety projects either completed or in process in those areas: including Z-crossings completed at Commerce and General McMullen, a midblock crossing planned at General McMullen and Wallace, and a traffic signal with crosswalks planned at San Pedro and Evergreen.

“The most significant way we can honor those who have lost their lives is to make our roadways safer,” said Reininger. “This will take all of us working together.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.