2005-06-28 Simultaneous Memorials

June 28, 2005



Simultaneous Memorials for Four Cyclist Deaths


Silent Memorials in 4 Separate Locations

Where Cyclists Were Killed Within the Last 2 Months

NEW YORK, New York — At 7:00 pm on Wednesday, June 29th,
cyclists and volunteers with TIME’S UP! Environmental and Bicycle
Advocacy group will initiate four separate and simultaneous direct
action memorials in tribute to four cyclists that were killed by
automobiles within the last two months. TIME’S UP! volunteers and
other community members will bring candles and flowers to the sites,
culminating in a simultaneous moment of silence at 7:20pm, followed
by the painting of a full body stencil with the name and date marking
the site where the fourth cyclist was killed.

Within the last 2 months, 4 cyclists have been killed by trucks and
SUVs in New York City:

  • Andrew Morgan, 25, Houston & Elizabeth Streets, Manhattan, killed
    6/22/05
  • Elizabeth Padilla, 28, 5th Avenue and Prospect Place, Brooklyn,
    killed 6/16/05
  • Brandie Bailey, 21, Houston Street & Avenue A, Manhattan, killed
    5/10/05
  • Jerome Allen, 59, Hylan Boulevard and Poillon Ave., Staten Island,
    killed 4/26/05

Simultaneous memorials on Wednesday evening will establish the link
between their deaths and the need for safer streets for the cyclists.
“While cyclists know of the hazards of riding on our unsafe streets,
the community at large, unfortunately, only takes notice when one of
us is killed,” noted Bill DiPaola, Executive Director of TIME’S UP!
“By targeting cyclists for arrest throughout the past year, the City
of New York has created a climate on the streets in which cyclists are
not respected by motorists,” he added.

TIME’S UP! also raises issue with the fact that no driver has
been charged in any of these cases. In fact, in many accident cases
involving a motorist and a pedestrian or cyclist, drivers are not
indicted with criminally negligent homicide or other crimes unless
he or she has violated at least two traffic laws during that same
accident. (Source:
“State spares the rod for those who kill with cars”,
New York Daily News, 12/29/2003
)

Fact Sheet:

TIME’S UP! believes that the City of New York needs to start
prioritizing the basic rights of citizens to safely walk or ride on
the streets, and address the issues of reckless driving impunities in
a real way.

Automobile accidents are the #1 cause of death for ALL Americans,
children and adults to age 44. Automobiles kill more Americans
every seven years than the total U.S. losses in WWII and Vietnam
combined. (Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services)

In NYC — the nation’s only city where drivers are a minority —
an average of 684 car crashes are recorded every day of every week
of every year. Over 17,000 pedestrians or cyclists are struck and
injured by automobiles every year in NYC, and cars killed 1,190
pedestrians and 121 bicyclists between 1995 and 2001. 91% of injuries
to pedestrians and cyclists are caused by cars, followed by trucks
at 7%. The number of deaths caused by cars is %76 and 17% caused by
trucks. It is also worth noting that buses account for about 1% of
injuries but 6% of deaths. (Source: New York City and New York State
Departments of Transportation)*

In addition to reckless drivers causing senseless injuries and
deaths to pedestrians and cyclists, cars inflict other environmental
hazards on innocent people every day. Vehicle emissions and other
environmental hazards lead to high rates of asthma, the leading cause
of hospitalization among children from 0 to 14 years of age.
Approximately 300,000 of New York City’s children under age 17 are
diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives, and asthma is the
leading cause of school absenteeism. Among adults, 40% of New Yorkers
with asthma sought emergency care for their asthma in 2002. (Source:
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)

Oil from vehicles washes into our waterways, which kills aquatic
wildlife and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Vehicle emissions also
lead to acid rain, which destroys our public monuments and numerous
historic buildings. Cars cause excessive noise and are an unsightly
part of the urban environment. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency)

Unlike other environmental hazards, stepping into the streets of
NYC and being hit by a car affects everyone. As noted by Charles
Komanoff, a traffic policy consultant with Komanoff Energy Associates,
“Motor vehicles threaten people in every neighborhood, regardless of
race and class.”

TIME’S UP! is community-based, all-volunteer non-profit
environmental education and direct action organization that has been
working for close to two decades in New York City. The group hosts
hundreds of free events and educational workshops annually from
community garden clean-ups and film screenings to bicycle repair
workshops and group bike rides. TIME’S UP! is working to promote a
safer, quieter, friendlier, and more environmentally sustainable
city.

* Automobile accident figures based on verified (more
than one source) statistics compiled from 1994 to 2001 and unverified
figures (single source) from 2002 to 2004 inclusive.

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