“I was surprised to learn today that Vision Zero means police cars parking on the sidewalk in the middle of Chinatown.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

For those not familiar:

“This morning, Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Leif Dormsjo, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and other city officials to release the “Vision Zero” Action Plan – the District’s s plan to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries to people walkers, bikers and drivers by 2024.

“Vision Zero is our strategic roadmap to eliminate fatalities and injuries on District streets by 2024,” said Mayor Bowser. “But this is just the first step. Now that we have a smart plan, we will make the necessary changes to our street network so that residents, workers and visitors can safely navigate our great city.”

The Vision Zero Action Plan is the result of an extensive planning process involving 30 government agencies, community groups and residents. The plan places a high priority on making safety improvements and refining how the city monitors and addresses hazardous street conditions. During the planning process, residents reported more than 4,500 hazardous locations. Those sites can now be mapped along with historical crash data to inform the District’s engineering, education, and enforcement efforts.

“Protecting vulnerable travelers through speed reduction is a strong theme through our Action Plan,” said DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo. “Through extensive public outreach and collaboration, we are taking our first step towards realizing a ‘Vision Zero’ where no lives are lost on our streets or at our intersections. Together, we will make the District a safer place to live and travel through.”

Widespread public feedback has confirmed some of the root causes of severe traffic crashes in the District. 45 percent of residents surveyed knew someone who had been killed or seriously injured in a crash. Across all eight wards, residents also advised that their primary concerns are speeding drivers, distracted drivers, and people ignoring traffic signals.

The Action Plan was released at 10th and Maryland Avenue NE, where earlier this year DDOT installed a new traffic signal and other safety features to help families cross the street to access School Within School, a DCPS public school.

From the beginning of this year through December 10th, 24 people have lost their lives in traffic crashes. The Action Plan outlines the strategies, timeframes, and agencies responsible for implementing programs to improve traffic safety regardless of where or how travelers move throughout the District. The plan serves as the playbook for the first years of the initiative and incorporates legislative and regulatory proposals already released by the Administration.”