Evolving Vision Zero for the Decade Ahead 

Presenters: 

• Emily Finkel, Fehr & Peers (moderator)
• Angelo Rao, S&ME, Inc.
• Joaquin Rodriguez, City of El Paso
• Matthew Ly, LADOT
• Paul Van Dyk, City Traffic Engineer

Vision Zero has now been in the U.S. for a decade and many cities are working to learn from successes and challenges over the past several years, and evolve the state of Vision Zero practice to develop a new generation of “Vision Zero 2.0” programs. Over this past decade, industry best practice in roadway safety has continued to evolve. Vision Zero, the Safe System Approach, Local Road Safety Plans, and now Comprehensive Safety Action Plans (as required by the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All [SS4A] grant program) are all distinct, but interrelated concepts. Local jurisdictions may be finding it difficult to navigate this complex landscape, while meeting funding requirements, prioritizing equity, and most importantly keeping the focus on improving roadway safety outcomes. This session will provide real-world advice for practitioners currently navigating this evolving landscape, with the primary focus on strategies for eliminating roadway deaths and serious injuries. Vision Zero leaders from Los Angeles, El Paso, and Lakeland, Florida will share what’s working in their jurisdictions and how they are evolving their Vision Zero programs to improve outcomes, incorporate the Safe System Approach, and align with new federal funding programs and policies. This session will focus on four distinct topic areas within local roadway safety: emerging methods in systemic data analysis and visualization, institutionalizing equity in safety work, approaches for aligning safety work with local, state and federal funding sources to support implementation, and the connection between complete streets work and Vision Zero. For each of these topic areas, examples will also be presented from small cities across the U.S.