[Archived] Alexandria City Council Adopts “Vision Zero” Policy to Eliminate Traffic Deaths

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2017

At its regular meeting on January 24, Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted the “Vision Zero” international traffic safety concept with the goal of eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2028. As a Vision Zero community, Alexandria recognizes that these incidents are preventable through proper engineering, enforcement, evaluation and education.

“By adopting Vision Zero, we will learn and apply best practices from other communities as we strive to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in Alexandria,” said Mayor Allison Silberberg. “The loss of even one life or the injury of even one person is unacceptable.”

In 2016, there were four pedestrian deaths in Alexandria, an increase from one death in 2015, none in 2014, and two in 2013. There were over 35,000 traffic deaths in the United States in 2015, up 7.2 percent from 2014 after a decade-long decline.

Tonight’s action by City Council to adopt the Vision Zero philosophy follows over a year of research and planning by City staff.  The next step is for staff to develop an action plan for consideration by Council this fall. The action plan, which will be developed and implemented through community participation, will use a data-driven approach to identify the tasks and funding needed to achieve Vision Zero in Alexandria.

For more information, including the resolution adopted by City Council, visit alexandriava.gov/VisionZero.

For media inquiries, contact Craig T. Fifer, Director of Communications and Public Information, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.

This news release is available at: www.alexandriava.gov/95797.