100-Days of Safety 2024 campaign

The City of Brownsville recently launched its “100-Days of Safety 2024” campaign. This annual campaign focuses on raising awareness among motorists regarding the increasing presence of cyclists and pedestrians on the city’s roads and trails, particularly during the busy summer months.

The campaign also aims to improve public safety messaging and community relations, contributing to the city’s overall effort to keep the community safe.

Mayor Pro-Tem and District 3 City Commissioner Roy De los Santos emphasized the importance of providing the necessary resources to those who protect the city. “We have a department that has done an amazing job of being able to adapt and pivot as times change, as the city grows, as the needs grow but the resources don’t always keep pace. They do an amazing job of using data and using their minds to ensure they are delivering the services the people of Brownsville need to remain one of the safest cities in the country. They do it all with our support and all with our thanks. We are always mindful of the men and women who are here to protect us when anything is happening in the city,” De los Santos said.

To boost safety awareness, the city has strategically placed new safety signs in high-traffic and high-incident zones. These areas include City Hall, International Boulevard, and Lincoln Street; Paredes Line Road and Morrison Road; Historic Battlefield and Boca Chica Boulevard; International Boulevard, Boca Chica Boulevard, and Old Highway 77; as well as Ruben Torres Sr. Boulevard and Central Boulevard.

City Commissioner At-Large “B” Dr. Rose Gowen highlighted the year-round importance of safety in Brownsville and praised the city’s hike and bike trails for making it safer for everyone. “Our trails in our networks do make it safer not just for those of us who are on bicycles or on foot but the drivers as well so that there are fewer incidents where people interact. Our parks make it safer because there are green spaces of refuge and joy, improving mental health as well as physical health,” Dr. Gowen said.

Joel Garza, director of the Multimodal Transportation Department, shared statistics from 2023 in Texas, where more than 8,000 accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians were reported, resulting in over 1,800 fatalities. Locally, Brownsville recorded 34 incidents involving cyclists and 96 involving pedestrians, with two cyclists and 11 pedestrian fatalities. Garza urged motorists to share the road and reminded cyclists and pedestrians to follow safety rules. “So, we are here today to remind our motorists to please share our road, to remind our cyclists to use the rules of the road, and our pedestrians to use the crosswalks,” Garza said.

Sgt. Cecilia Valdez of the Brownsville Police Department announced that several events would be held during the campaign in June and July, including a self-defense class and child safety seat inspections.

The “100-Days of Safety 2024” campaign is a collective effort by the City’s departments, which include Multimodal Transportation, Brownsville Police Department, Municipal Court, City Elected Officials and Leadership, and the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization. This united approach aims to create a sustainable commitment to a safer and more inclusive environment for all residents of Brownsville and surrounding communities.

Eva Garcia, of the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, stressed the importance of looking out for one another.

“As we remember these 100 days of summer, I really want to encourage everybody that being safe or being safer is really a chance to love our community, to care for each other. I think a lot of us would agree that the people out walking, biking, or driving in Brownsville are people that are friends, that are family members and to me, that is the big take home with this is that we want to be safe for one another because we care for one another,” Garcia said.