MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2022
CONTACT
Nancy Espinoza, CASA Campaigns Communications Specialist
nespinoza@wearecasa.org; (240) 701-2777
Sonya Breehey, CSG Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager
sonya@smartergrowth.net; (202) 675-0016, Ext. 3
CASA & Coalition for Smarter Growth Launch Report
Detailing Perils Pedestrians Face in Bailey’s Crossroads
200+ of Culmore’s Large Immigrant Community Push for Safer Streets
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA – Immigrant advocacy organization CASA and the Coalition for Smarter Growth will host a press conference to unveil important findings collected as part of the Bailey’s Crossroads street safety campaign, focused on making Route 7 safer for people walking, biking and using transit. This long-planned event follows the tragic crash in Oakton on Tuesday killing two teenagers and seriously injuring another. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the community. The work we are doing in Bailey’s Crossroads highlights a particular dangerous arterial in the Culmore community of Fairfax County, but these dangerous roads are impacting vulnerable road users and communities across northern Virginia.
Overwhelmingly, Culmore residents indicated they do not feel safe citing poor lighting, lack of connected sidewalks and safe crossing options, no bike paths, and concerns about crime. The reality is that the majority of the residents in this area use Route 7 for their day to day living. One of the biggest challenges is that this area has limited access to connected sidewalks and paths for pedestrians and bike riders, and several bus stops do not have safe crossing options close by. The groups release this data collected in order to demand Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation fix the issues regarding the safety of the residents.
WHAT: Press conference announcing report results and sharing stories of pedestrians affected by lack of street safety.
WHEN: June 10, 2022 – 1:30 PM EST
WHERE: 5929 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 *outdoor event*
WHO: Immigrant/pedestrians affected by the lack of street safety organized through CASA as part of a joint campaign by CASA and the Coalition for Smarter Growth
RSVP: For more information on the actions, please contact Nancy Espinoza, nespinoza@wearecasa.org, (240) 701-2777
MORE: The press conference features local Culmore residents sharing their pedestrian, driving, transit, and cycling experiences around Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike. Then, Sonya Breehey, CSG Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager will share with the media data collected from the surveys based on the community members’ experiences.
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As the foremost immigrant organization in the mid-Atlantic region and a national leader in supporting immigrant families, CASA has over 36 years of experience organizing over 122,000 lifetime immigrant, Latino, and working class members in 46 states. In the following pages, you will find everything you need to know about how to bring CASA to life in advertising, content, collateral and everywhere else CASA might pop up.
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington, DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to advocate for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the region to grow and provide opportunities for all.