Local Motion to Hold Memorial for Road Deaths
A November 13 event at 645 Pine St. in Burlington will honor seven people killed in Vermont road crashes since November 1, 2025.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Accidents
Local Motion will host a memorial at 645 Pine St. in Burlington at 3 p.m. on November 13 for seven people who have died in Vermont road crashes since November 1, 2025. Ghost bicycles, ghost shoes and candles will be placed with signs bearing the names of those who died.
Why it matters
The memorial coincides with World Day of Remembrance for people killed in traffic, observed on the third Sunday in November. Local Motion, a group that advocates for cycling and other active modes of travel, is drawing attention to pedestrian and cyclist deaths in the state.
Local Motion reports seven road deaths since November 1, 2025 and 139 injuries, including 11 fatal pedestrian crashes and one fatal bicyclist strike in 2025 versus six pedestrians and two cyclists killed in 2024. Four pedestrians have died so far in 2026, and the causes of the broader set of crashes are not detailed in the source.
The players
Local Motion
Local Motion is a Vermont group that advocates for cycling and other active modes of travel.
Families for Safe Streets
Families for Safe Streets is a national advocacy organization of people affected by traffic violence, led by president Amy Cohen.
Amy Cohen
Amy Cohen is president of Families for Safe Streets, whose son Sammy was killed at age 12 in 2013 by a speeding driver in front of her New York City home.
The details
Ghost bicycles and six pairs of ghost shoes, representing people killed by motor vehicles statewide, will be placed at the site. The memorial recalls Shiloh Skalka, 16, struck by a minivan on July 16 while crossing Pine and Locust streets on her e-bike, and Todd Ward, 54, struck by a car on September 15 on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. Christian Skalka is scheduled to speak at the event.
Timeline
July 16: Shiloh Skalka is struck by a minivan while crossing on her e-bike.
September 15: Todd Ward is struck by a car on Shelburne Road.
November 4: Local Motion presents the statistics at a Walk-Bike Council meeting.
November 13, 3 p.m.: Memorial held at 645 Pine St. in Burlington.
Seasonal Patterns
The memorial is held on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed on the third Sunday in November, and joins commemorations held each year to mark deaths on the road. This year's Vermont count of seven road deaths since November 1, 2025 is set against prior-year pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the state.
Residents near Pine and Locust streets and along Shelburne Road may notice the memorial installations and the gathering on November 13. The event underscores the risk to people walking and biking, prompting attention to safe crossing in the area.
The takeaway
Pedestrians and cyclists face ongoing risk on Vermont roads, and the memorial offers a public moment to reflect on those losses. Residents can attend the November 13 event to honor those who died.
What happens next
The memorial event takes place at 645 Pine St. in Burlington at 3 p.m. on November 13.
Further reading
For related coverage, see the Accidents section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Burlington Free Press.
