NEW WEBINAR: The Collision Analysis You Want Your City To Do – To Save Lives
Join America Walks for a New Webinar!
What could we learn about collisions if we didn’t just rely on police reports? Oregon Walks volunteers put in 1400 hours to meticulously research and reconstruct the causes of every fatal collision in Portland from 2017-2019.
It may be a model for governments to adopt – if they are serious about reducing the inequitable burden of deaths and injuries. Learn how they did it, what it shows, and why “texting pedestrians” is just lazy clickbait.
The Collision Analysis You Want Your City To Do – To Save Lives
DATE: Wednesday, May 19th, 2021 at 8:00 to 9:00 am Pacific Time
You can register at this link.
Registration Link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5647058050008595984
Ashton D. Simpson is the Executive Director of Oregon Walks, a community organizer, former U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Technician, and a graduate of Portland State University’s Community Development undergraduate program.
As a progressive Black man growing up in Houston, and now living in Portland, he has seen firsthand the unequal development present in our pedestrian infrastructure, and the dangers this presents for vulnerable communities. “We must reimagine what pedestrian safety and healing looks like for our communities, and work to remove the barriers that prevent low-income communities from having the representation, investment, and infrastructure they deserve”. Ashton will fight to ensure that every community is a walkable one!
Through all these experiences he has gained insight into transportation systems and how they should work to serve all people. He understands that when a core urban function such as pedestrian infrastructure is thriving, cities, communities, and our environment are better for it. As a disabled veteran, he has observed many areas of needed improvement in communities across Portland. As a result of this experience, Ashton intends to see that publicly funded projects improve pedestrian safety for everyone, especially people living in under-resourced neighborhoods who bear the disproportionate brunt of the state’s traffic fatalities.
Ashton has had the privilege of being heavily involved in transportation justice work in Portland. His work at The Rosewood Initiative allowed him to be directly involved in local transportation advocacy over the past few years. He is engaged with the City of Portland’s Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility Task Force, Rose Lane Advisory Committee, and is the co-chair of the Fixing Our Streets Oversight Committee. Ashton also served on the Multnomah County Local Investment Team for the Metro Transportation measure, where he advocated for safer streets.
Ashton has been able to fight for his community to have access to a multi-modal transit system through directing investment in our existing infrastructure and has worked to increase safe and efficient pathways for people. However, he believes more must be done! He is committed to working with regional stakeholders to ensure transportation resources reach under-resourced neighborhoods. Transportation funding should be aimed at decreasing our dependence on auto-oriented mobility, and instead promoting pedestrian connectivity, access, and achieving our climate action goals. He understands that we are in the midst of a climate crisis that if left unchecked, will have dire implications globally. Ashton’s top priorities are: advocating for better design in the public right of way, engaging and organizing communities around their pedestrian safety and infrastructure needs, and growing the Oregon Walks family while elevating the many benefits of walking!
Brandon Summers, Project Staff, Forum Law Group. Brandon Summers is on the project staff at Forum Law Group and collaborated on the research and drafting of the Oregon Walks Fatal Pedestrian Crash Report. As a native Portlander who experienced the first two decades of his adult life without owning a car, Brandon is passionate about creating a city where walking, bicycling and public transportation thrive. As the son of an immigrant Indonesian mother, he is dedicated to equitable solutions. And as the father of two daughters, he is focused on ensuring that we do more to make our streets safe for generations to come.
Wendy Landman (webinar moderator) is the Senior Policy Advisor at Walk Boston and a long-time America Walks Board Member and current Board Vice President. Wendy focuses her efforts on statewide transportation policies and programs that work to increase pedestrian safety on our roadways and to promote walkable environments. She is a member of the Executive Board, Transportation Justice Committee and Nominating Committee of the Transportation for Massachusetts Coalition (T4MA). Wendy served as the Executive Director of WalkBoston for 15 years before stepping down in October 2019. She continues to be WalkBoston’s point person on many Boston metro area transportation and development projects, including the I-90 Allston Interchange Project. Wendy also works on Age Friendly Walking and is a member of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative Executive Committee and serves on the Board of America Walks. She holds SB and Master of City Planning degrees from MIT, and a Diploma in Urban Design from the University of Edinburgh.
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