The Street Project Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion

565 North 3rd Street Ac,Phoenix AZ 85004

08 September, 2022

Description

Our traffic violence is out of control. Join us for a screening of this brand new documentary, followed by a moderated panel discussion. "Arizona had the sixth highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country in 2020, the year with the most recent data available, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, the state consistently ranks within the top ten worst states for pedestrian fatalities," according to the Arizona Republic. Bicycling and pedestrian fatalities in the United States are skyrocketing. The National Safety Council reports that 1,260 bicyclists were killed in 2020, an increase of 16% from 2019 and an increase of 44% over the past 10 years. According to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just released in May, cycling fatalities rose another 5% in 2021. The Street Project, a new documentary distributed through PBS International will highlight the global, citizen-led fight to make our streets safer. Created by the multiple Emmy-winning team at Boyd Productions, The Street Project takes viewers across the globe in an uplifting narrative, from cycling-friendly meccas in Europe, to New York City and Phoenix, Arizona – one of the most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians – for a deep dive into how America views our streets and how they can be made safer. In the USA, the documentary will be available for streaming on Amazon, Apple, and other platforms. Four years in the making, The Street Project looks at how we got here, including the history of street use and how it has changed, what makes effective street design, how the automobile changed the way we use our streets, the misguided use of victim blaming (jaywalking), the impact of zoning laws on street transportation, and much more. The film features a diverse array of experts including street historian, academic and author Peter Norton, city planner, urban designer, and author Jeff Speck, and urban design expert Mikael Colville-Andersen. These expert interviews are interwoven with the stories of real people working to make their communities safer, including: --In New York City, stopping vehicular violence has become a life mission for Dulcie Canton. Both Dulcie and her mother were victims of hit-and-run crashes on separate occasions, 10 years apart – Dulcie as a cyclist, her mother as a pedestrian. --For Stacey Champion, a Phoenix-based single mom, inaction at the city council level has led to her fight for change. Five pedestrians were hit by cars at her neighborhood crosswalk. While deaths soar across the city, little has been done to address the pedestrian death toll. Outside of the USA, viewers get a close-up look at Copenhagen, a city that, starting in the 1980s, redesigned its streets for safety and is now considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. Viewers also learn how other countries have implemented changes that have made their streets drastically safer, such as Sweden and Norway, and what America can learn from them. “America’s streets started out as bicycle and pedestrian friendly, however, the advent of the car-culture changed everything,” said the film’s Director/Executive Producer Jennifer Boyd. “More recently, we have experienced a reawakening of sorts, due to the massive spike in fatalities, the pandemic lockdowns that forced our communities to rethink how they use their streets, as well as the passing of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which makes the safety of all users, including cyclists and pedestrians, a priority. We created The Street Project to raise awareness that cars, pedestrians, and cyclists can coexist, and that we need to examine our history so we can create a future with better alternatives.” Watch the film trailer HERE.