RI Waves Encourages Everyone to “Stop, Look & Wave” at Every Crossing for Safety
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
The "RI Waves" campaign is encouraging all Rhode Islanders to "stop, look, and wave" at every crossing for safety this summer -- and throughout the year.
“We’re driving home the message that we all have the capability of being noticed by doing the wave,” added Bari Freeman, Executive Director of Bike Newport, who helped lead the successful "Newport Waves" campaign that is now going statewide. “It’s an effective form of acknowledgment among pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists and a way to say, ‘I see you, do you see me?’ before continuing to get to wherever we are going.”
The RI Waves campaign originated from Newport Waves, which was introduced in the City by the Sea in 2015 and again in 2017 following several pedestrian tragedies. Similar to RI Waves, the objective was to encourage all road users to stop, look, and exchange a wave. The campaign’s success served as a proof of concept and caught the attention of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT).
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRI Waves takes a light-hearted approach — with the help of the likes of WJAR’s Mario Hilario, Jim Nellis of RI Food Fights, WaterFire Providence’s Barnaby Evans, and the even the gargoyles of TEN31 Productions.
The statewide campaign has drawn the support of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the Rhode Island State Police, AAA Northeast, and more.
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“In the last ten years, we’ve lost 139 pedestrians due to car crashes — 13 of whom were cyclists,” stated Peter Alviti, Director of RIDOT, of the most recent numbers last fall. “We’re proud to have provided support for this program, which is part of our ongoing commitment of bringing traffic and pedestrian fatalities in this state down to zero over the next ten years.”
“AAA has advocated for traffic safety for well over 100 years and we’re thrilled to be a part of this initiative,” stated David Raposa, Managing Director of Public Affairs of AAA Northeast. “This is a simple message, but there is actually some real science behind it. Our work on distracted driving has shown us that drivers can look right at you and not really see you if they’re focusing on something else.”
Another partner that is bringing RI Waves statewide is the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA). “We’re happy to be part of this campaign and look forward to its great success,” added Scott Avedisian, CEO of RIPTA. “There will be digital advertising in the interior of our buses and we’re planning on sharing the campaign’s content on our social media platforms and newsletters.”