MLK Transportation Justice Team Honors World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

On Sunday, Nov. 10, the MLK Transportation Justice Team hosted an event in the parking lot of the Safeway on Othello Street in honor of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims to spread awareness around transportation justice.

“Seventy percent of the collisions from Sound Transit in all of King County happen right here in the South End on the surface-level line. Seventy percent of the deaths that have happened [as a result] of people getting hit by a train happen right here in the South End. That’s not an accident,” said King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, who spoke at the event.

According to Zahilay, collisions in the Rainier Valley are not limited to the surface-level train line. “It’s beyond the trains too. MLK Jr. Way and Rainier Ave are some of the most dangerous streets in all of King County where people are losing their lives,” he said. 

While the overall number of traffic collisions in King County is steadily decreasing, from 2,101 total collisions in 2017 to 1,584 in 2022, the number of deaths caused by collisions is increasing. King County’s Road Services Division’s 2022 collision data report found that in 2017, there were only 11 fatalities as a result of traffic collisions. In 2022, that number more than doubled to 23 fatalities.

Sen. Rebecca Saldaña spoke at the event, advocating for drivers to be more hypervigilant while on the road. “When you’re in a vehicle, that is a machine that can kill, and if it’s going more than 25 miles per hour when it interacts with someone on a bicycle, in a wheelchair, or walking, it can permanently damage them and impact their families for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Climate justice adviser for the Washington State Environmental Justice Council Jonathan Chen also spoke, sharing his own personal experience of being hit by a car while riding his bicycle in the Chinatown-International District.

“I was crossing an intersection at a green light (on South Jackson Street) and a car pulled in front of me and I crashed into that car. I was hospitalized at Harborview hospital. … I was unconscious for three weeks, and there was a homicide report because the police thought I was dead because I had lost so much blood,” said Chen. “It is a miracle that I’m here right now and can talk to you, given that accident, but I know that so many other people are not as fortunate as I am.”

According to Chen, transportation justice ensures the ability to choose alternate means of travel without fear of being hit by a train or car. “Everyone should have the freedom, liberty, and safety to ride a bike without fear of getting hurt. That is what transit justice is all about,” said Chen. “We need to raise more awareness to make our streets safer so that anyone can choose to ride a bike and not be afraid of it.”

A report from Sound Transit published earlier this year found that by April 2024, there were four injuries related to collisions on Sound Transit. 

Government and community relations director at Sound Transit Amy Shatzkin gave a statement at the event on behalf of Sound Transit: “Together Sound Transit with SDOT share goals and values centered around enhancing equity, safety, community access, and mobility in the Rainier Valley. This is really important to us, our board, agencies, and elected officials. It is a top priority and we can only do that by working closely with all of you,” said Shatzkin. “As we think about and work with urgency on safety improvements, we hope they are guided by your knowledge and understanding of this space and how we can best serve you.”