Chattanooga's Kelly, Jackson's Conger selected for Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and Jackson Mayor Scott Conger have been selected as part of a cohort of mayors from across the nation to participate in the Mayors Innovation Project’s second annual Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety.
The program, in partnership with AARP Livable Communities and Smart Growth America, selected 10 mayors from a national competitive application pool of candidates to join this year’s cohort.
“We are so excited to work with the group of mayors participating in the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety this year,” said Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America, Smart Growth America’s transportation arm. “Mayors are essential to making our communities more livable and walkable. We hope to provide them the tools and best practices they need to improve safety for pedestrians and provide people more opportunities for active living, whether they are children walking to school or adults walking to work or the grocery store.”
The Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS) aims to help mayors develop their knowledge and skillset to champion safer communities for people of all ages. Participating mayors receive training and resources from top experts in the field, enabling them to make immediate safety improvements on their most dangerous streets.
MIPS Mayors also receive crucial support to build implementation strategies that drive longer-term, systemic changes. Other members of the cohort include:
- Mayor Quinton Lucas • Kansas City, MO
- Mayor Lauren McLean • Boise, ID
- Mayor Dominick Pangallo • Salem, MA
- Mayor Sean Shultz • Carlisle, PA
- Mayor Ryan Sorenson • Sheboygan, WI
- Mayor Matt Tuerk • Allentown, PA
- Mayor John Vieau • Chicopee, MA
- Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin • Culver City, CA
Over the next six months, MIPS members will meet virtually and in-person with national experts and each other to share experiences and identify solutions to their pedestrian safety challenges.
Pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise for nearly a decade in the United States. According to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association, on average 20 people are killed by a moving vehicle every day. The elderly and minority groups, particularly Native/Indigenous and Black populations, are disproportionately impacted by pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
“We are proud of what we accomplished through the 2023 inaugural cohort, and the continuation of this work in 2024 marks a big step forward in accelerating city leadership on traffic safety across the country,” said Katya Spear, Managing Director of the Mayors Innovation Project. “These ten mayors have demonstrated their commitment to advancing pedestrian safety and we are excited to work with them to support and expand their leadership on this critical issue.”
We are grateful to the JPB Foundation and AARP Livable Communities for their generous support that enables the continuation and expansion of this work. Learn more about this work and our previous cohort at: https://mayorsinnovation.org/mips.