Advocates rally for lower speeds and safer streets in Providence

"We have the tools and know-how to prevent traffic violence and severe injuries. We can save lives by investing in safe road and vehicle designs and by prioritizing safety over speed."

“We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to honor the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in the United States,” said Liza Burkin, board president of the Providence Streets Coalition, speaking from the stairs outside Providence City Hall. “This is a global day that has been honored in cities and states across the world. In the United States, it’s organized by Families for Safe Streets, the Vision Zero Network, It Could Be Me, and the National Safety Council, but this is the first time we’ve done it in Rhode Island.”

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims commemorates the 1.35 million people killed in traffic crashes each year and calls for specific changes to prioritize safety over speed. In 2025, across Rhode Island, seven pedestrians and bike riders were killed in preventable traffic crashes. Hundreds more people have been injured in crashes.

Here’s the video:

“Too many people are dying in preventable traffic crashes,” continued Burkin. “Traffic deaths are a leading cause of death for youth in the United States. This preventable epidemic disproportionately affects people walking and biking, seniors, communities of color, and low-income communities. In 2023, 44,762 people were killed in vehicle crashes. In the United States, millions more suffer life-altering injuries that destroy careers, strain income, and alter family relationships. These staggering numbers represent a dramatic increase over pre-pandemic numbers. Nationwide, roads are more dangerous than they’ve been in nearly two decades. The numbers keep rising. That is why we are here to recognize the World Day of Remembrance, joining communities around the world in saying, ‘This is not how it has to be.’”

Burkin continued:

“Here in Rhode Island, while overall vehicle fatalities are going down, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are not. According to RIDOT’s Highway Safety Performance Plan, Rhode Island is not on track to meet its goals regarding cyclist and pedestrian fatalities. This year alone, 34 people lost their lives on roads in Rhode Island, including five pedestrians and two bike riders. Serious injuries shatter lives and livelihoods, too. To date, 169 people have been seriously injured on Rhode Island roadways, including 31 pedestrians and seven cyclists just this year.

“We all have the right to get to our destinations safely. We have the tools and know-how to prevent traffic violence and severe injuries. We can save lives by investing in safe road and vehicle designs and by prioritizing safety over speed. We see safety improve in communities across the country and around the world where speeds are lowered and traffic calming measures are implemented. As a matter of course, this year’s theme for World Day of Remembrance is ‘Safe Speeds Save Lives.’

“The city’s Safe Streets for All plan and Comprehensive Plan acknowledge this. We’re fortunate here in Providence to have the acknowledgement of our elected leaders. Both plans, approved earlier this year, recommend reducing the statutory speed limit on local streets from 25 to 20 miles per hour. Reducing speed limits on neighborhood streets has been shown to decrease fatalities by 26%. Cities across the country have already done this, including Seattle, New York City, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Boulder, Tacoma, Washington, Falls Church, Virginia, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Slower speeds could mean the difference between life and death, and the only way we can achieve the city’s Vision Zero commitment is by tackling the problem of speeding head-on.

“The United States ranks the worst among 29 high-income countries analyzed for road safety by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Too many people have lost their lives or suffered life-altering injuries in preventable crashes, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Today’s traffic violence is a solvable one.

“Thirty-four people have lost their lives on Rhode Island roads this year. I’m going to read the names of the pedestrians and cyclists, and ask for a moment of silence:

• Eliza Kahn of Woonsocket, four years old, was killed by a driver while walking with her mom next to a snow-covered sidewalk in Woonsocket on January 28th, 2025.

• A 33-year-old pedestrian of San Benito, Texas, whose identity was not released, was killed on I-95 on May 7th, 2025.

• Vinny Vilayleut of Woonsocket, three years old, was killed by a driver riding his bike in his neighborhood in Woonsocket on June 25th, 2025.

• Robert Lamothe of Warwick was 71 years old and died while riding his bike in Warwick on July 5th, 2025.

• Another unidentified pedestrian was killed on I-95 on September 22nd, 2025.

• Lucas Garcia of Providence, 38 years old, was killed by a school bus driver while crossing the service road to Route 6 at Union Ave in Providence on October 2nd, 2020.

• And finally, Michael Demaula of Providence, 78 years old, was killed while crossing Branch Avenue in Providence, just after dark, just a couple of weeks ago, on October 24th, 2025.

Elena Calise, Michael Demaula’s niece, spoke about her uncle:

“I was born and raised in Warwick, and I’m here today with my mother, Dorothy Calise, also of Warwick. We are the family of Michael Demaula, a lifelong resident of Providence,” said Elena. “A month ago, we couldn’t have imagined ourselves standing here today. Michael, known around our family as Uncle Mike, died unexpectedly three weeks ago. Seeing the news reports, what struck me most was seeing his age: 78. It seemed too high a number for his level of independence and his energy. He had left the TV on and the radio was blaring, and he was out running a random errand on foot late one night when tragedy struck. You never know, but you also shouldn’t have to worry.”

Elena continued:

“I’d like to tell you a little bit about him. Uncle Mike was born into a world not yet designed for someone whose mind worked in a different way. He was fascinating to me as an encyclopedia of music, sports, directions, the RIPTA transit system, and our family history. He either didn’t speak at all, or you couldn’t shut him up. He’d mutter endlessly to himself. This was when all the random facts, family scandals, and stories would shake out of his system. He’d sit for hours with a radio turned on to an oldie station with a pen and scrap of paper, playing trivia with himself. He jotted down the artist, the song title, and the year of release, and I don’t think he ever got one wrong. Some of his habits were awkward, but he was hard not to like. He had an oversized smile, a slow laugh that went on for a little bit too long, and for those of you who are fans of the movie Zootopia, he laughed a lot like the DMV sloths.

“All in all, despite living a quiet life, Uncle Mike was generally happy to be here. I thank the advocates here today for letting me share him with you so that you will remember him too, because what is remembered, lives.

“About a year ago, in daylight on Branch Ave, Uncle Mike was crossing the street when he was hit by a car. Among his injuries, he broke some ribs and vertebrae. He spent some time in the hospital and a few weeks in rehab. You never met a guy who liked rehab more. Uncle Mike made a full recovery following the doctor’s orders, becoming more cautious and relying on a cane for comfort and his peace of mind. He went back to his normal life. Uncle Mike never learned to drive, so he went back to doing exactly what he loved: walking absolutely everywhere. Three weeks ago, I was at work 5,000 miles away when I got the message that knocks the wind out of you: something awful had happened to Uncle Mike.

“Slowly, the details came to light. He was attempting to cross the road in nearly exactly the same spot where he had been hit less than a year ago. He had been hit by a car again. He was walking cautiously, and this time he didn’t survive. We stand here today as representatives of a small subset of families who walk with this sorrow. I can’t bear to think about the numbers countrywide as we hold this vigil. Here in Providence, volunteers lay signs. All over the country, they advocate for better traffic and street systems alongside us.

“I was raised to believe that cars are weapons that deserve the utmost respect and caution when used. I see that now more than ever, and I see distracted driving at every turn. For my uncle and the other victims of traffic violence we honor today, and for families all around the country, I hope that we all commit to more present driving. I call for better visibility, especially in crosswalks, flashing lights, reflective points, and simple signage that can make the difference between life and death. I want to thank the Providence Streets Coalition and City Councilor Justin Roias for their advocacy. And while I wish I didn’t have to know you, I’m glad you are all here today, standing with us as a voice for those who can no longer speak for themselves.”

“It was almost two years ago that my brother was crossing the street to come celebrate New Year’s Eve, was struck, and left to die on the side of the road,” said Michael English. “It’s amazing that when they found [the driver], the Providence Police said that she must’ve been going 25-35 miles an hour. But my brother’s liver was in his throat. He had two surgeries a day for eight days, and I decided to relieve him from his life. It’s the toughest thing anybody can do.”

English continued:

“I was told, as a young person, just like the lady before me, that cars are weapons. We don’t teach our kids these things. We don’t instill it, and we don’t take away people’s driver’s licenses when they do multiple speeding violations in the city. We need to start taking things away and showing people that this behavior is unacceptable. People are going to die. My brother was 58 and had a brain injury from the war. There are little babies dying. We’re adults. We can’t figure something out? We’re still here, talking about people dying. Mine was two years ago. Hers was just the other day. It’s got to stop...”

“A couple of family members could not attend, so [I’m going to read for] the family of Anna Abbruzzese, who was killed on North Main Street on October 8th, 2023, two years ago,” said Dylan Giles, Providence Streets Coalition Operations Manager.

“The greatest tragedy in our family occurred that morning. My parents, as usual, were walking hand in hand on their daily walk. Everyone in the neighborhood recognized them. Many stopped and greeted them, and my mother’s life was tragically cut short that morning by the carelessness of drivers who were responsible for the lives of pedestrians, adequate roles inadequate lighting, and lax enforcement on that stretch of road. My parents had been together for 53 years, and they would still have brought joy and support to each other. My mother was a kind and cheerful person, with a strong character, good health, and a love of life. My father, the grandchildren, and I have lost the most precious thing in our lives. It pains me to watch my father, who, two years later, yearns daily, continuing to live a life without meaning.

“In less than a year, four people have tragically died on this stretch of road. We must prevent all terrible tragedies and the deaths of innocent people due to negligence and irresponsibility.”

Giles also read a message from Lisa Pope, the once girlfriend of Zachary Richardson, who was killed on North Main Street.

“I can’t begin to express the gratitude I have for this event to finally happen in Rhode Island. My condolences to all those affected by traffic incidents. After brainstorming and speaking with my loved ones, I decided not to show up today and open wounds that I have worked so hard to overcome. I’m not fully healed, but I don’t want to lose any progress I have made because it has been a very hard and long road. Thank you to the Providence Streets Coalition, Vision Zero, Families for Safe Streets, Councilor Sue Anderbois, Representative Rebecca Kislak, and all the elected leaders gathered here today. I hope next year is better for me.

“On behalf of the City of Providence, and I know I speak in unison with the members of the Providence City Council who are here, we are reaffirming our commitment to safer streets, improved public safety, and to do everything that we can through the Providence Public Works and Police Departments to improve the safety of our streets, make sure that no one should fear crossing the streets, or let their kids walk to school in the morning,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. “With the leadership of Councilwoman Anderbois and the unanimous support of the City Council and my administration, our commitment to Vision Zero has already begun.”

Mayor Smiley continued:

“We have started installing leading pedestrian intervals [which allocate a separate time for pedestrians to cross the street without cars turning right or left] at intersections throughout Providence. We are funding and implementing advanced multimodal infrastructure improvements. There’s been a fair amount of traffic calming installed this year in Providence. We’ve been redesigning dangerous intersections, and we have many more to do. We are working on using data to ensure that we not only react after tragedy strikes, but also try to get ahead of it.

“We’re committed to rectifying some of the problem intersections that we know, while also being more proactive about the various ways in which people move around the city, especially anything other than car transportation, with new bike lanes being installed, as we speak, across the city, with improved pedestrian access throughout the city, and to provide some comfort. We are working diligently on Union Street and a couple of other locations where tragedy has struck our city in the last 12 months.

“It is good that Providence and Rhode Island are finally marking this day, so on behalf of the city, we have a proclamation to declare today, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims here in the City of Providence, and I hope that this becomes an annual occurrence until such time as it is no longer needed. And that is all of our aspirations.

“The value of this proclamation, and I don’t expect it to provide great comfort to the families who’ve lost so much, but more importantly, it’s for members of our administration to understand the important work that they have to do every day to help improve safety and prevent unnecessary harm and even deaths in our community.”

“I want to begin my remarks by saying ‘sorry’ to the families of the victims of traffic violence in this city. I’m sorry, as a representative of this city, that we have not done enough to keep folks safe from vehicles,” said Providence City Councilmember Justin Roias. “As the family of Michael Demaula [noted], it was his second time being struck by a vehicle. When the family came to my meeting last week, they said something to me that has stayed with me. After the first time he was struck by a vehicle, Michael became a bit more cautious and vigilant. However, being cautious does not necessarily save your life in the city. It was heartbreaking to hear the names of those who passed away. I’m struck by how young some people were, and I thought about my daughter, who is almost four years old, and how at least two victims were around that age, and it absolutely kills me.”

Councilmember Roias continued:

“We need to do so much more. You have my commitment, as an elected official in the city, to aggressively advocate for traffic calming measures to ensure our streets are safe. I’ve had enough of hearing about the financial constraints. Quite frankly, financial constraints should never take precedence over human life. We should never have to weigh a price tag against human life. Before us are two wheels and some shoes that represent lives, stories, and futures that have been stolen on our streets. I commit to you not just sharing this space in grief, but sharing it in action. We can’t just be rhetorical about this. We really need to achieve tangible things that will keep our residents safe on our streets.”

“I’m glad you brought up financial constraints,” said Liza Burkin, in answer to Councilmember Roias. “That is something that the Streets Coalition would very much like to do. We’ve been searching for grant funding to support research on the financial impacts of these crashes. We want to interview families to understand the medical bills and lost earnings to understand the financial impacts of folks who ended up on disability or unemployment as a result of their crashes, or if their car insurance went up or they lost a bicycle, we would really like to be putting numbers to these crashes so that we can then weigh them against the cost of an extra mile of sidewalk or a rectangular flashing rapid beacon so that we have a better sense.

“Currently, we don’t fully understand the financial implications. We know what the emotional impacts are, and that’s what we’re here to do today.”

“I’m committed to taking action on this, along with my colleagues and the mayor,” said Providence City Councilmember Sue Anderbois. “This is why we committed the city, in February 2024, to Vision Zero, so we’ll have no more traffic fatalities or major injuries by the year 2030. That plan was released by the mayor’s team and adopted by the council earlier this year.”

Councilmember Anderbois continued:

“That’s why I created the North Main Street Task Force. We don’t have to see any of our friends and neighbors die on our streets. We know these are preventable deaths. We’ve spent approximately $500,000 on new lighting upgrades across the North Main Street corridor, as lighting has been a significant contributor to the safety concerns there. I’ve worked closely with RIDOT to ensure that every intersection is a ‘no turn on red’ zone and features leading pedestrian intervals at many major intersections. So we want to take action. I want to take action. These deaths are preventable. Traffic violence is real. We’re turning the grief we’re feeling into action, so we don’t have to continue to gather this way in the future.

“Please don't hesitate to reach out to me or my colleagues at any time. If you notice any unsafe conditions in your neighborhood, we want to work with you. We want to prevent the next accident or crash from happening. We work for you. We are your public servants. Please reach out anytime because this needs to end, and we’re committed to making that happen.

“I want to thank the Streets Coalition. It’s not just advocacy. They’re putting their blood, sweat, tears, and muscle into fixing things. We just worked together on the North Main and Benefit Street intersection. They not only received the grants, but they were also out there putting in the planters themselves, carrying these big things and filling them with dirt and beautiful flowers. The sweat equity is real, and I appreciate it.”

“I’m very honored to represent the great City of Woonsocket, which has certainly been a community in mourning this year,” said Woonsocket City Councilmember Kristina Contreras Fox. “Two of our neighbors were taken from us far too early, and it’s incredibly painful. I’m glad to say that, despite the tragedy we’ve seen in Woonsocket, thanks to the efforts of neighbors in Fairmount, we’ve seen action. In particular, I want to shout out to Chelsea Fernandez, who attended our council meetings and advocated for funding for stop signs to prevent people from speeding through our neighborhood and keep things safer for kids riding their bikes. We were able to allocate $50,000 to that. But the fight continued. Situations like this have to be, because of policy decisions, which is a reality that elected officials like myself have to confront.”

Councilmember Contreras Fox continued:

“However, in the confrontation, we realize that we can take action. Unlike advocates, we have a vote; we can introduce policy, advocate for it, and we can vote to pass these things. We need to continue to do that. That is how we ensure that the memory of the loved ones we lost stays alive as a part of us and our community forever. Thank you so much to the Providence Streets Coalition for holding this memorial. It is important to come together, grieve, and connect with one another. Woonocket might seem a world away, but it’s not. It’s 20 minutes up 146. We are intimately connected to everything that happens here, and vice versa... My heart is with you...”