Councilmember Nithya Raman Lights City Hall In Honor Of Victims Of Traffic Violence

For Immediate Release: November 14, 2022

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COUNCILMEMBER NITHYA RAMAN LIGHTS CITY HALL IN HONOR OF VICTIMS OF TRAFFIC VIOLENCE 

LOS ANGELES — This week, Councilmember Nithya Raman will light City Hall yellow to commemorate World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 20, 2022. 245 people have been killed due to traffic violence in the City of Los Angeles this year, with over 1,000 people seriously injured – a significant rise since the previous year. City Hall will be lit for the nights of November 14th through November 17th to honor those who have lost their lives. 

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was adopted by the UN in 2005, and is commemorated globally. The day presents an opportunity to raise awareness around this often overlooked issue, drawing attention to the emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes, and recognizing the victims and their families. 

“It is unacceptable to see so many of our fellow Angelenos killed and seriously injured while traveling on our streets,” said Councilmember Raman. “We must push for comprehensive interventions that alter the fundamental nature of our streets, especially those that have the highest rates of traffic violence. We must fight for our streets to be safe places for all Angelenos.”

“BikeLA, formerly the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, is more than our new name, it is a call to action for all Angelenos to embrace the many benefits of bicycling – but every year, we have to reckon with the growing number of bicyclists and pedestrians dying in our streets because of poor transportation infrastructure,” said BikeLA’s executive director Eli Akira Kaufman. “BikeLA acknowledges the leadership of Councilmember Nithya Raman to invest in a future Los Angeles where our roadways serve the mobility needs of all Angelenos, no matter how they choose to get around. Our aim is for the invitation to bike LA to become a reasonable option for everyone, everywhere, any time in Los Angeles.”

“Since the initiation of Vision Zero by the Mayor of Los Angeles in 2015, Los Angeles has seen a 51% increase in serious injuries and fatalities. During this time there has been a vacuum of leadership and a fractured willingness to make the hard choices to prioritize the lives of our community over the desires of a few to speed and drive recklessly,” said Damian Kevitt Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone. “Lighting up City Hall in yellow to remember the 1,931 lives lost and the 10,231 people severely injured since Vision Zero started (2015-2021) is largely symbolic – but, the fact that those lives are being remembered for the first time gives me hope that, with a new cohort of elected officials, and with leaders like Councilmember Raman, the City of Los Angeles will finally act in unison, to reverse the red tide on the streets of Los Angeles.”

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