In the Headlights
Let’s elevate the conversation about those who navigate our cities at night by foot, bike or wheelchair
On April 25, 2024, 24HourNation presented a webinar that asked two important questions:
- Why aren’t those who walk, bike, or roll at night getting adequate attention?
- What can cities and nightlife districts do about it?
Pedestrians, cyclists, and those in wheelchairs need our nighttime economies and nightlife areas to be inclusive and yet more mindful of their safety.
This presentation will be of particular interest to:
- pedestrian dignity advocates.
- central business district/nightlife district stakeholders.
- urban and transportation planners.
- public safety professionals.
- all who walk, bike, or roll.
Our panelists for this program were:
- Kea Wilson, Senior Editor for Streetsblog USA
- Nick Mesler, PE, TE, Director of Business Solutions at Evari GIS Consulting
- Chiara Molinar, Cheffe de Projet Politique Piétonne, Hospitalité et Usages de L’Espace Public for Ville de Paris
Panelist bios and links can be found below the recording of this web panel.
THANK YOU
For their assistance in making this web panel possible, 24HourNation would like to thank:
- Thierry Charlois, Chef de projet politique de la Nuit, Mairie de Paris
- Ari Isaak, GISP, CFLC, Founder and CEO, EvariLABS
WATCH THE WEBINAR
PANELISTS
Kea Wilson is Senior Editor for Streetsblog USA.
Founded in 2006, Streetsblog is a daily news site that covers the movement to end car dependence in the United States. It also seeks to facilitate a transition to a transportation system where everyone has meaningful access to mobility alternatives.
Kea has more than a dozen years’ experience as a writer telling emotional, urgent, and actionable stories that motivate average Americans to get involved in making their cities better places. She is also a novelist, cyclist, and affordable housing advocate.
She previously worked at Strong Towns, and currently lives in St. Louis, MO.
Nick Mesler, PE, TE, is Director of Business Solutions at Evari GIS Consulting.
Nick graduated from San Diego State University in 2017 and brings seven years of Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering experience to the team. His experience has been focused on traffic operations support for planning and design projects related to active transportation, citywide plans, and private development.
He has GIS applicable experience in large-scale data collection, geospatial data analytics, parking demand management, community outreach, safe routes to school, traffic safety plans, and policy development.
Nick is based out of Portland, Oregon, and supports Evari GIS clients throughout the Pacific Northwest region and the United States.
Chiara Molinar is Cheffe de Projet Politique Piétonne, Hospitalité et Usages de L’Espace Public for Ville de Paris.
An architect, with a specialization in urban planning and public space, Chiara built her professional career around the interface between urban planning and mobility within public and private institutions and companies.
Chiara joined the City of Paris in 2020 to support the implementation of public policies to transform public space and address mobility on a district scale. In June 2022, she then joined the Roads and Travel Department of the City of Paris and more precisely the Mobility Agency where she oversees pedestrian strategies and the design of inclusive public spaces for all.
In 2023 Chiara led the work of defining the new pedestrian strategy for the city of Paris, voted in December 2023 by the Paris Council. Chiara’s mission is to support the transformations of the city, considering the needs of pedestrians and their specificities.
HOST
24HourNation founder and host, Randall White, is an award-winning community leader and former consultant in public affairs, communications, and non-profit management.
Inspired by the global nighttime economy movement, he founded and served as first board president for 24HourDallas. Focused on safety, inclusivity, and vibrancy in the nighttime economy of Dallas, the non-profit organization continues to thrive.
In May 2022, White launched 24HourNation. 24HourNation disseminates news and information for global advocates and allies of our nighttime and cultural economies.
Through this passion project, White presents at conferences and offers free webinars and a podcast.
BACKGROUND
A Dec. 11, 2023 article in The New York Times (“Why Are So Many American Pedestrians Dying at Night?“) presented disturbing findings unique to the United States:
“We literally taught generations of engineers to design conditions for daylight and not to consider nighttime.”
Bicycling Magazine responded with “Why Are Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths at Night on the Rise?“
“Compared to other countries around the world, our cars are bigger, our roads are darker and less well-designed for cyclists and pedestrians to share the road. Sadly, drivers simply aren’t used to cyclists or pedestrians on streets.”
What really caught our eye was this response from Kea Wilson, Senior Editor of Streetsblog USA:
“It’s important to remember, though, that reversing a vicious cycle can be far more difficult than halting a trend. We don’t just need to install streetlights, redesign roads and cars, disable cell phones when their owners are behind the wheel, and give the poor the mobility and housing options they need to keep them out of harm’s way. We also need to rebuild a culture of walking in a world where many people have bought into car culture so deeply and so literally that they will fight to keep the world as it is.”
SUMMARY
Pedestrians, cyclists, and those in wheelchairs need our nighttime economies and nightlife areas to be inclusive and yet more mindful of their safety. That’s why we are hosting “In the Headlights.” This free and live webinar may be of particular interest to advocates for pedestrian dignity and stakeholders in central business districts and nightlife districts. Register now!