crashes are caused by human error. World Day events held simultaneously across the country highlighted these facts. The first Los Angeles event was held Friday, the 17th of November outside City Hall East in Downtown Los Angeles. Called #inourshoes, the event was a collaboration of Southern California Families for Safe Streets and the L.A. Vision Zero Alliance, both led by . is a group of individuals who have lost loved ones in traffic crashes or have suffered their own traffic-related injuries. The is a coalition of community-based organizations, non-profit special interest groups, and concerned citizens that supports and influences the City of Los Angeles’ Vision Zero initiative. Members include: , , , , and many more organizations. Together, they hosted an interactive memorial that honored the more than 500 people killed on L.A. city streets since August 2015, when the city launched Vision Zero. SoCal Families for Safe Streets, Alliance partners, and event participants spray painted 503 footprints to represent those killed in preventable traffic crashes. They also added shoes and personal mementos to the memorial and were asked to consider what life is like for families shattered by preventable traffic deaths. They encouraged passersby to sign a safe streets pledge that urged Mayor Garcetti and Los Angeles City Council members to use all of the tools available to create safer streets. On Saturday, November 18th, hosted a Memorial Ride around the one-year ® anniversary of the death of Jeff Knopp -- a military veteran, father and Sunland-Tujunga resident who was struck from behind and killed while riding his bicycle on a particularly dangerous stretch of Foothill Boulevard with no bike lane. While this memorial ride was touted as a celebration, there was not a dry eye in the crowd of hundreds when (as part of the opening ceremony) Jeff's widow, Jennifer Knopp, brought Joshua (the driver who killed Jeff) onto the stage, publicly forgave him and hugged him. Joshua then went on to tell all in attendance how his life was also crushed the day he hit Jeff and how he now stands with Jennifer in efforts to make streets safer for all road users. "I thank God for Jennifer's forgiveness, Joshua closed his speech by saying, for the opportunity to be here to face all of you, and to tell you that in whatever way I can, I will fight for safer streets so none of you become another Jeff Knopp." Cyclists taking off to Finish The Ride Jennifer consoling Joshua and
crashes are caused by human error. World Day events held simultaneously across the country highlighted these facts. The first Los Angeles event was held Friday, the 17th of November outside City Hall East in Downtown Los Angeles. Called #inourshoes, the event was a collaboration of Southern California Families for Safe Streets and the L.A. Vision Zero Alliance, both led by . is a group of individuals who have lost loved ones in traffic crashes or have suffered their own traffic-related injuries. The is a coalition of community-based organizations, non-profit special interest groups, and concerned citizens that supports and influences the City of Los Angeles’ Vision Zero initiative. Members include: , , , , and many more organizations. Together, they hosted an interactive memorial that honored the more than 500 people killed on L.A. city streets since August 2015, when the city launched Vision Zero. SoCal Families for Safe Streets, Alliance partners, and event participants spray painted 503 footprints to represent those killed in preventable traffic crashes. They also added shoes and personal mementos to the memorial and were asked to consider what life is like for families shattered by preventable traffic deaths. They encouraged passersby to sign a safe streets pledge that urged Mayor Garcetti and Los Angeles City Council members to use all of the tools available to create safer streets. On Saturday, November 18th, hosted a ® Memorial Ride around the one-year anniversary of the death of Jeff Knopp -- a military veteran, father and Sunland-Tujunga resident who was struck from behind and killed while riding his bicycle on a particularly dangerous stretch of Foothill Boulevard with no bike lane. While this memorial ride was touted as a celebration, there was not a dry eye in the crowd of hundreds when (as part of the opening ceremony) Jeff's widow, Jennifer Knopp, brought Joshua (the driver who killed Jeff) onto the stage, publicly forgave him and hugged him. Joshua then went on to tell all in attendance how his life was also crushed the day he hit Jeff and how he now stands with Jennifer in efforts to make streets safer for all road users. Joshua closed his speech by saying, "I thank God for Jennifer's forgiveness, for the opportunity to be here to face all of you, and to tell you that in whatever way I can, I will fight for safer streets so none of you become another Jeff Knopp." Cyclists taking off to Finish The Ride Jennifer consoling Joshua and
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