A small group gathered together Sunday evening on the corner of 15th and Pearl Street to honor the World Day of Remembrance, an internationally recognized event commemorating the lives of the 1.35 million victims who are killed each year in traffic crashes.
The city of Boulder, in partnership with a nonprofit called It Could Be Me, organized the walk to raise awareness surrounding road traffic safety and traffic-related deaths.
About 30 participants showed their support for the cause, including three members of the Boulder City Council.
It Could Be Me founder Triny Willerton and Boulder Senior Transportation planner David Kemp passed out bicycle lights, reflective magnetic stickers and yellow flowers to participants, who then joined in a six block walk down Pearl Street.
It Could Be Me was founded in 2019 after Willerton, a Boulder native, was struck by a vehcile while on her bicycle.
“As I recovered from the accident and went through the criminal process, I realized that there are a ton of things that I wanted to change in terms of sharing the road,” Willerton said. “Many motorists see bicyclists as annoyances, so I wanted to rehumanize us. We are moms, we are dads, we are people.”
Willerton posted a video about her accident on Facebook, which quickly went viral. Afterwards, she received an outpouring of support from people throughout the U.S., and realized that many other people shared a similar experience.
The nonprofit now has ambassadors all throughout the world, including Leslie Morgan of Denver, who wanted to be involved with the nonprofit after her own accident in July 2020.
“The crash opened my eyes to how much this actually happens,” Morgan said. “We really need to be raising overall awareness.”
Others walked in memory of coworkers who’ve been killed in traffic crashes, noting that their deaths weren’t just another statistic but that these were friends who they were paying tribute to.
In 2021, 13 deaths in Boulder County have been reported due to traffic incidents.
Addressing the crowd Sunday night, transportation advisory board member Mark McIntyre emphasized how traffic safety in Boulder needs to include not just vehicles, but cyclists and pedestrians as well. McIntyre also called upon residents to strive toward Boulder’s goal of Vision Zero, whether that means supporting city infrastructure measures or following responsible driving guidelines.
A full breakdown of the Vision Zero safety plan can be read online at bouldercolorado.gov/services/vision-zero.
