The Transportation Department's collision reduction program aims to reduce the number of crashes on city streets.
Ties to Vision Zero effort
In 2015, the City of Bellevue adopted Vision Zero, an initiative aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injury collisions on city streets by 2030. Historically, collision reduction work has been based on developing countermeasures for intersections and corridors experiencing high collision rates.
With Vision Zero, more emphasis will be placed on: pinpointing collision trends, analyzing causes and circumstances; and understanding the collisions beyond their locations, taking into consideration factors such as lighting conditions, the driver's age and whether he or she is impaired. Greater emphasis also will be placed on education, enforcement and creative design solutions.
Annual reviews
Each year, the Transportation Department reviews crashes on city roadways, analyzing intersections and corridors with higher than anticipated incidents. These analyses:
- Identify higher collision locations using the number of collisions and daily volumes to determine a rate of occurrence.
- Help determine appropriate countermeasures to address identified locations.
- Track collision rates before and after countermeasures are implemented.
- Calculate costs and benefits to the public.
Safety-focused countermeasures
Bellevue has a range of programs and work groups focused on improving roadway safety:
- Neighborhood Traffic Safety Services: Focused on increasing livability and safety through community collaboration and creative problem solving.
- Pedestrian and Bike Implementation Initiative: Targets specific corridor improvements to enhance safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other users.
- Street and Signal Maintenance: Maintains the city's infrastructure to ensure a safe traveling environment for all users.
- Traffic Engineering: Provides innovative approaches and sound engineering practices in the design and management of the city’s transportation network.
- Police Enforcement: Collaborates with Transportation and other department to address safety concerns on city streets.
National recognition
The Transportation Department has been recognized nationally for its work in transportation safety:
- Transportation Achievement Award for Safety; Institute of Transportation Engineers (2017)
- Safer People, Safer Streets Initiative Award; Mayor's Challenge, US Department of Transportation (2016)
- Walk Friendly Communities Silver Award; Highway Safety Research Center (2013)
- Transportation Planning Excellence Award, Federal Highway Administration (2012)