Ride For Your Life event promotes safer streets in Madison

Photo from the Ride

This opinion piece originally published in the Cap Times.

By Ben Varick and Heather Rainer

On Oct. 4 hundreds of people will gather in Madison to honor a local teenager who was tragically killed by a speeding driver as he walked to his school bus earlier this year.

Sasha Rosen was 17. The driver was going 62 mph on a 25-mph street. The Ride for Your Life event is a tribute to Sasha and is also an opportunity to shine a light on the increase in pedestrian fatalities on streets that aren’t designed to be safe for people walking and biking.

Many American communities, including Madison, have embraced bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly policies. These transportation options are good for the body and the planet by reducing congestion and decreasing emissions that cause air pollution. Research conducted by the UW-Madison's Climate Solutions for Health Lab indicates that dangerous street design is one of the biggest barriers for students walking and biking to school.

Madison is well-known for being one of the most bikeable cities in the country, with 183 miles of high-comfort bike lanes and paths, and another 257 miles planned. According to the League of American Bicyclists, there are 21 Bike Friendly Communities in Wisconsin. Madison, Milwaukee and Stevens Point are also considered the most pedestrian friendly communities in the state.

City planners throughout the state are listening to and designing infrastructure for residents who want the freedom to move around safely where they live and work. Most of these improvements are on city-managed streets. In Wisconsin, the state's Department of Transportation prioritizes car throughput over pedestrian safety in road design.

Sasha was killed on a state managed road: South Park Street. Since Sasha's death, the city of Madison has negotiated a jurisdictional transfer of Park Street and we're optimistic that city staff can now improve the design.

Legislators also are paying attention. State Sen. Chris Larson and state Rep. Russell Goodwin, both Milwaukee Democrats, recently proposed Sasha’s Bill (A.B. 655 / S.B. 659) designed to crack down on reckless driving and extreme speeding. We hope they are successful.

Hundreds of people are killed, and thousands are injured on Wisconsin streets every year. We can change this. The Oct. 4 rally is meant to shed light on a growing safety concern in our communities, honor Sasha and encourage action to make the roads safer for bicycling and walking.

We encourage everyone to join us on Oct. 4 to honor Sasha and move toward a healthier, safer future for everyone. Go here for more information.

Ben Varick is a researcher at UW-Madison's Climate Solutions for Health Lab. Heather Rainer is the events manager for the Wisconsin Bike Fed.