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'We can prevent the next disaster' | Charlotte councilman works for pedestrian safety after family gets injured

Pedestrian safety strikes a personal cord for Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari. He's now on a mission to bring more sidewalks to neighborhoods.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte City Councilman is on a mission to try and make neighborhoods safer by adding sidewalks after several members of his own family were hit by a truck earlier this year. 

Councilman Tariq Bokhari said there's added fuel to what's been a priority of his regarding transportation in the city. 

"Our must have -- are sidewalks and pedestrian safety," he said at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Southpark Charlotte. 

He was at the event that welcomed a new sidewalk system that will give residents walking access to stores and schools. It's a project that's been in the works for years near the Barclay Downs neighborhood. 

For Bokhari, the simple paved walkways are personal. 

"A couple months ago, my wife and two of my three kids -- on the first day of school for my daughter -- were hit by a truck on their way home from the bus stop," he said. 

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He shared pictures on social media when it happened, showing his wife in a neckbrace and on a stretcher, with one of his children in the back of an ambulance. 

Everyone recovered from the scary accident, but he says a problem persists.

Like several other neighborhoods, his neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks. It's something he's advocating for throughout the City of Charlotte. 

"I know that there's an opportunity for us to turn that tragedy into good," he said. 

The Charlotte region ranked 34th in the most dangerous metro area to walk in with 421 people hit and killed by vehicles from 2010 to 2019, according to a study by Smart Growth America. It's an organization focused on improving communities through safety and economic growth. 

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WCNC Charlotte has spotted pedestrians making bold moves and risking their lives to cross busy roads like East Independence Boulevard, where sidewalks are limited and crosswalks are nonexistent. 

Bokhari is now urging his colleagues to make pedestrian safety a bigger priority. 

"We have to take these items seriously so that we can prevent the next disaster," he said. 

Bokhari said he will be proposing a few new recommendations in the next city budget. Currently, he's doing his research on more solutions to try to keep residents safer on the streets, he said. 

Contact Hunter Sáenz at hsaenz@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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