Circulator - 11/25/2024 - Circulate San Diego

Published November 25, 2024

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Winners Announced – 2024 Momentum Awards!
New Circulate Report: “Vision Zero at Ten Years”
Surviving Family Members of Those Killed Call for Safer Streets at “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims”
Recap: 2023-2024 City of San Diego Bicycle and Pedestrian OTS Safety Program
Recap: Turkey Giveaway and Resource Fair
Circulate News

Winners Announced – 2024 Momentum Awards!

What a night! With hundreds of guests in attendance, not even the chilly weather or a few drops of rain could dampen the energy as we celebrated the 2024 Momentum Awards and Circulate San Diego’s 25th anniversary.

It was truly inspiring to gather with so many passionate individuals and organizations dedicated to creating safer streets, better mobility options, and thriving neighborhoods across the San Diego region.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us, including our generous corporate sponsors, whose support made the evening such a success. A big thank you also goes to Quartyard for hosting us in the vibrant, transit-rich heart of downtown San Diego.

This year, we were honored to recognize California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin and San Diego Councilmember Kent Lee as our “Walk the Walk” awardees. Their exceptional leadership in advancing safer streets and forward-thinking land use policies is an inspiration to all of us.

Congratulations to all of the 2024 Momentum Award winners!

Thank you for helping make this milestone event truly unforgettable.

View the winners!

New Circulate Report: “Vision Zero at Ten Years”

On Tuesday, November 12, at 8 AM, Circulate San Diego released its latest report – “Vision Zero at Ten Years – Struggling Forward in a Safety Crisis.” This report analyzes San Diego’s efforts to make our streets safer for everyone and finds that despite commendable efforts by the City, more pedestrians are being killed than they were ten years ago. Circulate’s Policy Counsel, Will Moore, presented the report’s findings, backed by families of pedestrians and cyclists killed in traffic crashes.

Circulate launched the report with a press conference at the intersection at University Avenue and 44^th Street in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego. That intersection is one of San Diego’s “Fatal 15,” the name given to the fifteen deadliest intersections in the city. The location was chosen because the deadly intersection is now a construction zone as it undergoes safety improvements. The backdrop served as an apt metaphor for the substantial – but still unfinished – improvements that the city is too-slowly making.

Moore summed up the report’s findings, saying, “Vision Zero has been a major step forward. But by itself, a vision is not enough. When an admirable vision is only partially implemented, the good intentions behind it start to lose credibility. And worse yet, our fellow San Diegans continue to die on our streets. We can do better.”

Full Report Here!

Surviving Family Members of Those Killed Call for Safer Streets at “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims”

As the sun set over Alice Birney Park on Sunday November 17^th, surviving family members of San Diegans killed in traffic crashes stood in a silent vigil. They were joined by community leaders and advocates observing The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, and paying respects to the 258 people killed on San Diego county’s roads last year.

The speakers focused on the theme of Getting Our Kids to School Safely. 46 of the shoes and backpacks on display were child-sized, representing the 46 youngsters killed on our roads last year. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn observed, "As we hold this vigil outside of an elementary school, we know that parents are afraid to let their children walk to school."

Families for Safe Streets founder Laura Keenan mourned the loss of her husband Matt. “I remember saying to him as he left the house, ‘I'll see you later’ and the next morning I had to explain to our 15-month-old son that his father wasn't coming home.”. Keenan cited Circulate San Diego’s report “Vision Zero at Ten Years” saying “We have had Vision Zero for ten years and despite good plans, deaths continue to go up.”

Councilmember Joe LaCava captured the mood of all present, adding simply “The time for words has passed.”

RECAP: 2023-2024 City of San Diego Bicycle and Pedestrian OTS Safety Program

This past year, Circulate teamed up with the City of San Diego to bring bicycle and pedestrian safety programs to residents across the city! With support from the California Office of Traffic Safety, Circulate delivered a packed lineup of impactful events and programs that made San Diego’s streets safer and more accessible for everyone.

The Circulate team worked hard throughout the year to deliver on this project and is looking forward to doing it all again for the 2024-25 cycle!

To learn more about the program and check out a few highlights, check out our blog post here.

Recap: Turkey Giveaway and Resource Fair

Thanks to the OTS/County of San Diego Walk'n' Roll Grant, Circulate served as a community partner for Community Wraparound’s 2nd Annual Turkey Giveaway and Resource Fair! This year’s event took place on November 23rd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center.

In partnership with San Ysidro Health, Community Wraparound added a special Diabetes Awareness Month component to the event. In addition to distributing free turkeys and providing valuable community resources from local nonprofits, San Ysidro Health will also offered healthcare services on-site.

At Circulate’s table, we shared resources and incentives focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety. We also featured an interactive activity that highlights multi-modal transportation options and pedestrian safety.