Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution adopts the Vision Zero Action Plan and directs staff to implement the strategies and actions contain in the plan. Implementing recommendations from the Vision Zero Action Plan will require additional resources and will be included in future capital and operating budget requests.
Title
Adopting the Vision Zero Action Plan and directing staff to implement the recommendations in the plan.
Body
WHEREAS, in July 2020, the Common Council adopted a resolution (Legistar File 60922) authorizing the City of Madison to become a Vision Zero Community; and
WHEREAS, staff were directed to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan and the Transportation Policy & Planning Board was directed to oversee the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan;
WHEREAS, Vision Zero is a data-driven approach to traffic safety; and
WHEREAS, a High Injury Network has been developed to pinpoint where the highest severity crashes occur in the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, input from the community has been undertaken to understand their values related to transportation and safety; and
WHEREAS, the plan documents the disproportionate effects of traffic enforcement and the impacts of traffic injuries and fatalities on people of color, and that the plan includes strategies to reduce and eliminate those harms; and,
WHEREAS, crashes that result in death or serious injury are not inevitable but largely preventable; and
WHEREAS, this Vision Zero Action Plan outlines detailed strategies and actions aiming to eliminate all fatal and severe traffic crashes by 2035 based on:
• Safe Streets - Factors that lead to fatalities and injuries include the geometry and speed of our streets. Motor vehicle drivers travel fast on streets that feel fast - and speed has a large correlation with crash severity. Altering the layout and geometry of a street and lowering travel speeds can reduce conflicts and severity of crashes.
• Safe People - Encouraging safe behavior for motor vehicle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians is an important part of Vision Zero. In Madison, over half of crashes have driver behavior as a contributing factor.
• Safe Vehicles - Properly operating vehicles with safety equipment can significantly decrease the severity of crashes. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Council estimates that the combination of an airbag plus a lab and shoulder belt reduces the risk of death in frontal crashes by over 60%.
• Safety Data - Data gives us the tools to understand where injuries are occurring and what factors are causing the crashes. We cannot address a problem until we understand it, and we achieve what we measure. Vision Zero is a data driven process that will direct resources and attention to where we have the greatest opportunity to make a difference.
• Safety Focused Enforcement - The City is growing in the understanding of the role enforcement plays in safety. Traditionally, enforcement across the country has had a disproportionate impact on low-income and communities of color, with modest increases in compliance. Madison seeks to address hazardous behaviors that lead to severe and fatal crashes, without creating disproportionate impacts to members of our community; and,
WHEREAS, the Transportation and Policy Planning Board has overseen the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan, has reviewed the drafts, and has supported the strategies and actions in the plan;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Vision Zero Action Plan is hereby adopted.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that staff is directed to implement the strategies and actions contained in the Vision Zero Action Plan, including submitting necessary requests in annual Capital and Operating Budgets.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the goal of Vision Zero Madison is to create a safe system where all roadway users will feel safe while traveling throughout the City of Madison and all fatal and severe crashes are eliminated by 2035.