For the fourth straight year, 'Vision Zero' deaths were above the 2017 baseline
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula is asking for immediate action to curb pedestrian deaths after a hit-and-run fatality on Semmes Avenue over the weekend.
It comes in the days after the death of Valentine museum director Bill Martin. This week also brought an update to the city's "Vision Zero" numbers, which show little movement in traffic safety.
The Vision Zero project was adopted by the city in 2017, with the goal of eliminating road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
"Today, in light of this recent tragedy, I am asking my team to identify urgent opportunities to improve safety for residents who walk, ride, or roll on the Southside, while also prioritizing critical Vision Zero policies that require longer-term implementation," Avula wrote.
"We know the strategies that work—lowering speed limits in residential areas, creating high-visibility crosswalks, adding curb extensions, creating more protected bike and bus lanes—and we need to move with urgency and precision to focus our investments in the places they will matter most."
At an event in October where Avula formally committed to the Vision Zero pledge, city officials spoke about working towards the goal through infrastructure adjustments.
Department of Public Works Director Bobby Vincent said Vision Zero comes down to “the three e’s” of education, enforcement and engineering. On the engineering front, Vincent said the Vision Zero concept will inform how the city spends an estimated $1.5 billion in infrastructure funding over the next five years.
“It’s not just a slogan,” Vincent said. “It’s a shared belief that we can all operate within the public right-of-way together.”
Graham Moomaw
Avula finished his message with a personal appeal to the city's drivers.
He wrote: "Finally, I urge every driver: slow down, put your phone away. We cannot accept traffic deaths as normal. The only way we will achieve the goal of zero traffic-related deaths, is by committing to a culture of safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and changing our behaviors to prioritize safety for all."
Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.
