2020 was the deadliest year for pedestrians in Nashville.

With 39 pedestrian deaths last year, 2020 was the deadliest year for pedestrians in Nashville. Pedestrian deaths have been steadily rising since 2013, with record-breaking years in 2017, 2018, 2019 and now 2020. 

With a budget of $6,000, Walk Bike Nashville seeks to hire an artist to design and manage the fabrication of at least 10 pedestrian memorials.

Walk Bike Nashville has created a victim and victim-family support group, called Families for Safe Streets Nashville (FSS), that is working to stop the epidemic of traffic violence. We would like to raise public awareness about the deadly toll of traffic crashes on our community by placing pedestrian memorials, built by a local artist, in each location in which a pedestrian has died. 

Calling all artists.

Because 2020 was such a deadly year for pedestrians, Walk Bike Nashville and Families for Safe Streets (FSS) have already begun designing, building and installing pedestrian memorials in each location in which a pedestrian was killed in 2020. These memorials were constructed by volunteers using donated old shoes, white and black spray paint and plywood. These memorials are very DIY and are not designed to last long-term. The creation and installation of our DIY memorials has been powerful for victims’ families, and we want to have a sustained effort to honor the people who have died as well as educate Nashvillians about pedestrian safety. 

By utilizing the skills of a local artist to build a more permanent structure, while simultaneously executing a earned media and social media communications campaign, we hope to honor each pedestrian in a more lasting way and ultimately change the culture of traffic violence in our city.

How much the selected artist wants to use the existing DIY memorial design is entirely up to the artist.  

How to help:

Please help us spread the word about the opportunity to local artists.

Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Read the full scope of work for this project and find about more about the artist selection process here.

Thanks to Piedmont Natural Gas for their support of this project.