Vision Zero Columbus to Implement First Action Plan
The Vision Zero
Columbus Action Plan 1.0 lays out a set of two-year strategies to make safety
the number one priority of the Columbus transportation system. The plan lays
out a strategy to begin to achieve the goal of zero fatalities and serious
injuries from crashes on city streets, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced
today.
“Vision Zero
Columbus affects the well-being of every resident in our city,” said Mayor
Ginther. “When residents use our transportation system -- regardless of mode of
travel -- their health, safety and equity must be front and center. This first
Action Plan begins the intense work to attain that.”
The Action
Plan identifies a High Injury Network of city streets that have a higher
density of fatal or serious crashes involving vulnerable road users;
pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists are inherently more at risk if
involved in crashes. Streets on the network may run through other
municipalities.
Livingston
Avenue is one example. Columbus and the City of Bexley are partnering to
implement Vision Zero strategies that address speed and the number of crashes
on Livingston.
The joint
effort will identify engineering, safety and streetscape improvements designed
to slow traffic speed and support multi-modal travel along Livingston between
Nelson and James roads. Recommendations for joint development and land use
policies will also be developed.
The Action
Plan was developed through hundreds of hours of collecting and analyzing data,
mobility planning and engaging the community, after Vision Zero Columbus
launched in March 2020. The plan features equitable solutions, attainable goals
and accountability to residents. It will be updated continually as new data
becomes available and strategies prove successful in making travel on city
streets safer.
Crash
fatalities on Columbus streets have increased for several consecutive years,
with more than 50 people dying annually.
”Vision Zero
is based on the fundamental principle that our transportation system can be
made safer through data-driven approaches to engineering, education, evaluation
and community engagement,” said Jennifer L. Gallagher, Director of the
Department of Public Service, which is spearheading Vision Zero Columbus. “We
have examined our transportation system holistically, and from the perspectives
of all who use it — pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit users — to
prioritize safety above all else.”
The Action
Plan was created by working across city departments and with stakeholders
including COTA, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Ohio Department of
Ohio Transportation, community partners like OhioHealth, Nationwide and Columbus
City Schools, and advocacy and neighborhood groups.
“I applaud
Mayor Ginther, Director Gallagher and Councilmember Shayla Favor for
championing this initiative,” said Councilmember Mitchell Brown, Chair of the
Public Safety Committee. “We must do everything in our power to protect those
who walk, bike, and drive in Columbus. Adopting the Vision Zero principles is
an excellent step toward preventing senseless traffic injuries and deaths in
our community.”
The Action
Plan was introduced at City Council on Monday and will be considered for
adoption when Council meets on March 8. Residents can view the Action Plan by
visiting www.columbus.gov/VisionZero.
A virtual
public hearing on the Vision Zero Columbus Action Plan 1.0 will be hosted by
Councilmember Favor, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee,
on Thursday, March 4, at 5 p.m.
The public
hearing will be streamed live on CTV, the city’s YouTube page and Facebook
page. The link is here
(Password: 12345). Those who wish to speak at the hearing should email Anisa Liban
at [email protected] in
Councilmember Favor’s office by 4 p.m. on March 4.