On May 9, 73-year-old Bill Yoder was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer while riding his bike in a Charlotte crosswalk. He was a grandfather, a regular cyclist, and part of a community that had long warned the city about unsafe streets.

His death is part of a growing crisis. As of May 28, at least 31 people have died in traffic crashes this year in Charlotte. That includes five cyclists and four pedestrians. Serious crashes involving cyclists have more than doubled since 2022.

Charlotte created its Vision Zero initiative in 2019, promising to eliminate traffic deaths. But the city has no clear timeline, no benchmarks, and traffic violence is only getting worse. The intersection where Bill was killed is part of the city’s High Injury Network, which maps streets known for deadly crashes. It still lacks dedicated bike lanes or physical separation between cars and cyclists.

City leaders say they are committed to safety, but more people are dying each year. Traffic enforcement is down. Road designs haven’t changed. And the city has not publicly responded to the findings of its own Vision Zero audit.

We are calling for urgent action. The city must prioritize dangerous corridors like East Woodlawn Road for bike and pedestrian safety upgrades. CMPD must restore traffic enforcement in high-crash areas. The city must also fully implement the audit’s recommendations and report publicly on its progress.

Every one of these deaths is preventable. Safer streets are possible, but only if our leaders treat this like the emergency it is.

Sign this petition to demand immediate action before another life is lost.

[Photo Credit WSOC TV]