Complete Streets Act gives the freedom back to pedestrians and bikers | Opinion

• Congressman Steve Cohen represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District.

RaKayla Blount was an 11-year-old girl who loved to dance. She was crossing the street to get in the car with her father after school when a driver struck and killed her on March 26. 

Marlon Hunter was 47, and he was directing traffic away from a disabled vehicle on Winchester Road when a driver struck and killed him on April 11. Marlon and RaKayla are only two of the recent Memphians to be killed by a driver while walking. Unless we make an effort to create safer streets, they are unlikely to be the last. 

Nationally, Tennessee is the 12th most dangerous state for pedestrians. In my district, Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, drivers struck and killed 210 people who were walking between 2008 and 2017.

This is also an equity issue

African-American pedestrians, on average, face 50 percent more risk than white pedestrians. And people walking in lower-income neighborhoods die at 2.5 times the rate as those in wealthier areas. Older adults are also at a disproportionately high risk of being struck and killed. These facts are shameful, and we must take action to address them. 

Individual efforts to drive and walk safely are an important part of reducing pedestrian fatalities, but this is a systemic problem that requires intervention on a broader scale. The way we plan, design, build and maintain our roads can either exacerbate fatalities or reduce them. The safety of all people—pedestrians, cyclists and drivers—should be the central focus of the planning process. 

In the next several months, Congress plans to consider our next federal transportation bill. This bill comes up for consideration only once every few years, and it will direct billions of dollars toward infrastructure projects of all kinds. It is a rare and valuable opportunity to prioritize the safety of people walking and biking. 

All Americans deserve to move safely

This is why I introduced H.R. 3663, the Complete Streets Act of 2019, with Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts. This bill will help to promote safer and more accessible transportation routes here in Memphis and across the United States. Through this program, eligible local and regional entities can apply for technical assistance and capital funding to build safe streets projects, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks and bus stops.   

I will be hosting a Complete Streets Roundtable discussion with critical stakeholders later this month to discuss the different ways we can continue to collaborate on projects that enable safe access for all users, regardless of age, ability or mode of transportation. These types of transportation projects will make Memphis a better place to live, and we must continue working together.  

Safe streets can spur the economy and improve overall health. We have the opportunity to build safer streets now. We just need to look past politics and focus on implementing these solutions. I look forward to working with both Congress and our local leaders here in Memphis to advance Complete Streets policies. 

Congressman Steve Cohen represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. And serves as a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.