The Pedestrians Who Never Saw Their Tomorrows
2025-11-24
Alexandria Gazette Packet, November 20, 2025 By Mercia Hobson…
NoVA FSS Hosts 2025 World Day of Remembrance Event
2025-11-05
When: 10am Sunday, November 16thWhere: Gateway Park in Arlington NoVA FSS is hosting a Northern Virginia World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims event on Sunday November 16th to… NoVA FSS members, which include family members who have lost a loved one, crash survivors and many concerned citizens, will be joined by, among others, policy makers such as Arlington Board Chair Takis Karantonis, Delegate Partick Hope, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire, a senior VDOT representative, and a severely injured crash survivor. We invite the community to help us: The event at Gateway Park will conclude early enough so that those interested can meet…
Crash survivor advocates for safer streets in Northern Virginia
2025-10-08
By Zoe Ligairi September 30, 2025 GGWash worked with Youthcast Media Group to publish this story. Zoe Ligairi is a senior at Annandale High School, one of Youthcast’s journalism class partners. Mike Doyle was halfway across the street at the four-way intersection when he heard someone shout, “Look out!” Seconds later, he was sprawled on the ground, bloody and unable to see. He’d been hit by the driver of a black SUV on his way home from his office in Old Town Alexandria. The force was so great, his forehead dented the front of the car. The crash that almost killed him, in December 2012,…
Safety report highlights dangerous Alexandria intersections after 318 near-miss incidents
2025-09-19
By Ryan Belmore Published September 18, 2025 at 1:45PM Six Alexandria intersections have emerged as critical safety hazards where pedestrians and cyclists face daily risks from distracted drivers and inadequate infrastructure, according to a new report analyzing more than 300 near-miss incidents over 18 months. The report, provided to ALXnow on Thursday by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, examined 318 near-miss incidents reported between January 2024 and July 2025. According to the report, 47% of incidents involved children, with most occurring during school commuting hours from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. … Read Full Article…
AFSS Board member Dane Lauritzen is a panelist for a public discussion of the City’s Complete Streets Program
2025-03-27
By Ryan BelmorePublished March 24, 2025 at 9:10PM|Updated March 25, 2025 at 10:30AM Alexandria’s Complete Streets program continues to spark debate among residents, with some praising its safety benefits while others criticize its impact on traffic flow. The issue took center stage at the Lyceum during an Agenda: Alexandria forum on Monday, March 24, where panelists representing various perspectives discussed the merits and challenges of the city’s approach to street design. Complete Streets is a national movement adopted by over 1,500 communities across the United States, including Alexandria. The concept aims to design roadways that safely accommodate all users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit riders. “Complete…
Why a Memorial for Victims of Traffic Violence Matters (Op-Ed)
2025-02-02
By Peter Norton Op-ed: The Vietnam wall changed the way Americans think about war. For traffic violence, the transformative power of a well-conceived national memorial is still untapped. READ THE FULL ARTICLE…
A Virginia law to protect pedestrians has almost never been used (WaPo)
2025-02-02
By Rachel Weiner, Washington Post January 15, 2025: “In 2020, Virginia passed a law intended to make it easier to prosecute driverswho hit pedestrians or cyclists. But prosecutors across the state have brought charges under the law 32 times in the last four years. In only eight of those cases was someone convicted of the charge. It’s a national problem with what are known as “vulnerable road user” laws, which generally penalize “careless or distracted” driving that results in a serious injury or death for someone outside a car. The laws are meant to punish drivers in those scenarios who, because they weren’t speeding, drunk or…
PRESS RELEASE: NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S MOST FATAL ROADS FOR PEDESTRIANS
2024-12-14
NoVA FSS RELEASES INAUGURAL STUDY ON VDOT’S TREDS DATA OF PEDESTRIAN / BIKE CRASHES IN ALEXANDRIA, ARLINGTON & FAIRFAX For Immediate Release: December 10, 2024 Alexandria, VA: Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS), the leading pedestrian safety advocacy organization in Northern Virginia and with affiliated FSS chapters in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax (collectively NoVA FSS) has released its inaugural study on VDOT’s TREDS ped / bike crash data for: Each NoVA FSS chapter’s report of the TREDS data brings awareness to the long-standing and increasing risks of street safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users in the communities of Northern Virginia.…
NoVA FSS Near Miss survey captures a cluster of reports in Del Ray
2024-11-25
By James Cullum A new roundabout in Alexandria’s Warwick Village neighborhood has resulted in a surge of near-miss complaints. The Alexandria chapter of NoVA Families for Safe Streets saw a surge of reports in its crowd-sourced Near Miss and Dangerous Locations Reporting and Dashboard. The dashboard is intended to identify roadways with high risks for pedestrians. From Sept. 19 to Nov. 7, the nonprofit reported 57 near-miss incidents related to the roundabout. Concerns include drivers speeding through the newly configured roadway with few stop signs, safety signals, and poor visibility. “The parent walking with me had to physically yank her child out of the path of a car…