Published May 16 2024
Continued commitment to safety and collaboration to further traffic safety goals
Bellevue’s 2023 Vision Zero Progress Report and 2024 Vision Zero Action Plan were presented to the City Council this week, marking another milestone in the Vision Zero effort to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries from Bellevue streets by 2030. The number of people killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes on city streets decreased from 31 in 2022 to 27 in 2023.
The Vision Zero progress report highlights actions taken by the city to improve road safety. Successes include advancing 74 improvements from the city’s Road Safety Assessments, launching a Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything pilot with T-Mobile, finalizing new Pedestrian Signal Operations Guidelines that promote safer intersections for people walking and finalizing the city’s first Speed Management Plan.
The city also secured a $2.7 million Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, a $2.125 million Surface Transportation Program grant and a $1.43 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant that will help further road safety work.
Highlights of this year’s action plan are speed studies on high injury network arterials, tests of LiDAR sensor technology at signalized intersections that detects when a person in a crosswalk needs more time to safely cross, and grant agreements totaling $6.25 million in combined road safety funding.
A cross-departmental team develops annual action plans to maintain momentum and monitor progress. By continuing to implement innovative strategies and fostering collaboration across departments, the city is committed to working towards the Vision Zero goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
More information about Bellevue's initiative is available at Vision Zero.