"If there was anything else happening in Charlotte that had caused 30 people to die, everybody would be talking about it," Shannon Binns, executive director of Sustain Charlotte, told Axios in June.
Binns is referring to the instances of traffic-related deaths in Charlotte, which have totaled 35 fatal crashes since mid-July. Included in those fatal crashes are four cyclists and eight pedestrians, according to city data.
According to a recent preliminary report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, 279 pedestrians were killed in North Carolina in 2024 — a 12% increase from 2023. Additionally, according to transportation research nonprofit TRIP, traffic fatalities in the state have increased by 29% over the past decade. The group's recently released report said fatal and serious traffic crashes resulted in $72 billion in economic and quality-of-life costs in 2024.
The city of Charlotte has pledged to eliminate traffic deaths through the Vision Zero initiative it launched in 2019, which was recently bolstered by $20 million as part of a transportation bond passed in November. According to Axios, however, an internal audit last year criticized the city for not executing the Vision Zero program effectively.
We explore what’s behind the rise in traffic-related deaths, how Charlotte’s roads are designed, and what is — and — isn’t being done to keep streets safe for everyone.
GUESTS:
Charlie Jones, deputy director of the Charlotte Department of Transportation
Seth LaJeunesse, senior researcher at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center
Alexandria Sands, reporter at Axios Charlotte
Eric Zaverl, urban design specialist with Sustain Charlotte
