Memphis ranked 9th in pedestrian deaths* among the 104 largest metro areas in 2016. Unfortunately, 2017 is on track to out-pace last year with 25 fatalities through September 5. Christopher was the 6th pedestrian fatality of 2017 on February 22; he was walking with a friend, crossing Madison at Morrison, headed to Molly’s La Casita for dinner.

Christopher lived his entire adult life in midtown and subsequently downtown; biking and walking were his main modes of transportation for many of those years and he was a pedestrian safety advocate. My hope is that his death is not in vain but is part of a bigger wake-up call. We must take action to regain control of our streets and create a safe environment for pedestrians.

The goal of this project is to expand the pedestrian friendly zone in Overton Square west on Madison by another 200 yards to the corner of Morrison by installing an artistic crosswalk in Christopher’s memory.  This is a very busy corner for pedestrian traffic with The Blue Monkey, Molly's La Casita and LBOE anchoring the corners and the crosswalk will ensure safety of future pedestrians.

*Pedestrian Danger Index by Smart Growth America.