HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Packet March 2024 Pt 3 44 transportation element
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 45
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
traveled in the United States are for school-related
purposes. Ashland residents must have the option to
make school and personal business trips by foot or
bicycle. All home-to-school links should have walk-
ways and bikeways, and promotional and educational
activities should be provided for students and parents.
RECREATIONAL TRIPS (10.12.02)
Social or recreational travel such as visiting friends,
or trips to a park, account for another 24.8% of travel.
Social meeting places such as coffee shops, neighbor-
hood parks and sports parks should be within conven-
ient walking or bicycling distance of residential areas.
WORK TRIPS (10.12.03)
While commuting to work may seem to be the
dayʼs primary trip, only one out of five trips actu-
ally involves travel to or from work. Less than 2% of
trips involve on-the-job trave. Even though commute
trips comprise a modest proportion of all trips, travel-
to-work trips have typically been the focus of daily
travel statistics and many multi-modal programs.
Census data shows that a significant portion of
Ashlandʼs working population makes short work
trips. Almost two-thirds of the working population is
employed in the city and travels less than 15 minutes
to work. Since Ashland is approximately six square
miles is size, the trips made by people who live and
work in the city are likely to be short enough to be
within walking or bicycling distance.
Although many of the work trips are short enough to
be within walking or bicycling distance, census data
indicates that Ashland workers drive single occupant
vehicles. In fact, as a transportation means, walk-
ing and bicycling declined approximately 5% from
1980 to 1990. At the same time, the number work
trips made by driving alone increased by 9.6%. In
the future, the number of walking and bicycling work
trips should be increased.
Working people frequently use their lunch hour and
break to run errands. They are more likely to make
personal business trips by automobile if the area
around their work site is automobile-oriented and if
shopping and eating areas are distant or inaccessible
by walking. Personal business trips from the work site
on foot or bicycle should be convenient and pleasant.
10.13 What Makes People Drive?
The “Decision to Walk or Bicycle” model helps iden-
tify measures that facilitate walking and bicycling.
The model looks at the psychological, cultural and
physical barriers that encourage driving and discour-
age walking and bicycling.
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City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 47
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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS (10.13.01)
Values, Attitudes, and Habits
Many people do not seriously consider bicycling or
walking because by habit they rely on a car. Driving
represented affluence and convenience after World
War II, and this attitude became part of our national
culture. As a result, driving for all trips is now a typi-
cal nationwide pattern.
Distance and Time
Although distances may vary in what is suitable for
bicycling or walking, it is likely that the farther one
is from a destination, the less likely one is to walk or
bicycle. Distance is probably the key factor, which
limits utilitarian pedestrian trips because walking is
much slower than bicycling.
Studies show that utilitarian bicycle trips usually are
two miles or less, while work bicycle trips tend to be
average five miles. The 1990 Nationwide Personal
Transportation Survey found average length walking
trips to be .6 mile and bicycling trips to be two miles.
Travel time is highly valued in our society. The time
people perceive a travel mode to require directly
affects their choice to walk or bicycle. Common per-
ceptions suggest that walking and bicycling sacrifice
time even though it frequently does not. Walking and
bicycling can save time by enabling travelers to avoid
congestion and omit finding parking—two inconve-
niences associated with motorized travel.
Family Responsibilities and Work Requirements
Automobile-oriented cities and regions make driving
DECISION TO WALK OR BICYCLE
Personal Considerations
• Values & Attitudes
• Habits
• Distance & Time
• Family Responsibilities
• Work Requirements
Trip Barriers
• Traffic Safety
• Weather
• Topography
• Facilities & Access
• Route
Destination Barriers
• Parking
• Showers
• Employer/Organization Support
• Peer Support
AVERAGE WALKING AND BICYCLING SPEEDS
Walking = 3 miles per hour
= 264 feet per minute
= 1/4 of a mile in 5 minutes
Bicycling = 10 - 12 miles per hour
= 880 - 1,056 feet per minute
= 1 mile in 5 - 6 minutes
Adapted from Nelessen and Federal Highway Administration.
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the only option. Needs such as transporting children
at school, running errands conveniently during the
commute, using the car for work-related meetings or
having to transport heavy or bulky items, lead people
to drive. Walking and bicycling should be options for
all our daily trips, not only in the neighborhood, but
also in cities and regions.
TRIP BARRIERS (10.13.02)
Traffic Safety
Traffic safety is most often cited as a reason for not
bicycling. Although people who regularly cycle in
traffic are less fearful than non-riders, the general
perception of danger can not be dismissed and must
be changed through better facilities and training.
Pedestrian traffic safety concerns focus on specific
facilities. Survey data suggests that sidewalks, traffic
signals, pedestrian crossings and street lighting are
important pedestrian safety concerns and determine
whether or not they choose to walk42.
National safety statistics regarding pedestrians and
bicyclists are sobering. The Fatal Accident Reporting
System data for 1991 recorded 6,595 pedestrians and
841 bicyclist killed in crashes involving motor vehi-
cles nationwide. In addition, an estimated 109,000
pedestrians and 77,000 bicyclists were injured in
motor-vehicle-related crashes. Pedestrians and bicy-
clists comprise more than 14% of all highway fatali-
ties each year.
Approximately 15% of pedestrian accidents occur while
the pedestrian walks in the roadway. While a sidewalk,
shoulder or pathway would not necessarily prevent
these accidents; it would clearly reduce the accident
potential in locations where facilities do not exist.
Weather and Topography
Evidence suggests that rain and snow are the greatest
barriers to walking and bicycling. Studies suggest that
rain is a bigger barrier to bicyclists than to pedestri-
ans. Weather was found to be a greater deterrent to
fixed-schedule trips, such as the work commute, than
it was to discretionary trips. Hills are a deterrent to
walking and bicycling because climbing is strenu-
ous. In Ashland, fall and winter weather as well as the
steep slopes south of Siskiyou Boulevard, need to be
considered in all walking and bicycling plans.
Facilities, Access and Route
Pedestrians and bicyclists need walkways and bike-
ways that are clean, free of obstructions and con-
tinuous. They must be able to cross barriers such as
freeways, railroad rights-of-way, busy streets and
waterways. Connectivity of travel routes is as impor-
Pedestrians and bicy-
clists... must be able
to cross barriers...
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tant as having a physical place to travel. Fragmented
systems are a serious impediment to convenient
travel.
DESTINATION BARRIERS (10.13.03)
Storage, Showers and
Employer/Organization Support
People are discouraged from using a bicycle if their
destination lacks safe and adequate bicycle parking.
A tack of changing and shower facilities also deters
bicycle commuting. Pedestrians and bicyclists need
support and encouragement from employers, busi-
nesses, schools and the larger community. In order
to make walking and bicycling viable travel options;
residents need flexibility to adjust work and school
schedules for daylight travel, and to have other forms
of transportation available in case of emergencies.
Peer Support
Some professions and social groups consider utilitar-
ian bicycling to be inappropriate. Potential riders cite
dress requirements as a reason to eliminate bicycling
as a method to travel to work and school. Walking and
bicycling should be eventually viewed as acceptable
and even fashionable modes of transportation.
10.14 Encouraging Walking
and Bicycling Through Design
Walking and bicycling can be encouraged by provid-
ing mixed- use areas and by making the pedestrian
environment more hospitable. Creating sidewalks and
bikeways alone will not sharply increase the num-
bers of walking and bicycling trips. People probably
will not walk five miles along a five-lane, highspeed
boulevard to go to the store even if a sidewalk leads
all the way there. They will be much more likely to
walk and bicycle if the distance is reasonable and the
environment is attractive.
In a study of the pedestrian environment in the Port-
land Metropolitan Region, walking and bicycling
were found be as low as 2.2% in uninviting pedestrian
environments and as high as 7.4% in areas rated high
as a pedestrian environment. The pedestrian environ-
ment factor is based on ease of street crossings, side-
walk continuity, local street characteristics (grid vs.
cul-de-sac) and topography. Similarly, daily vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) per household decreased from
38.3 in areas with the lowest pedestrian environment
factor to 18.0 in areas with the highest pedestrian
environment factor. Daily vehicle trips per household
decreased from 6.5 to 5.7.
MIXED USES (10.14.01)
Mixed use is a term describing a heterogeneous
mixture of commercial, retail, residential and light
industrial uses in individual or interconnected build-
ings. Traditional single-use zoning strictly segregates
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commercial areas from residential areas. In addition,
residential zones are separated by density per acre—a
situation, which creates a monotonous environment
when subdivisions of similar size houses are placed
on equally- sized lots.
Mixing land uses, housing and jobs reduces traffic by
locating residences close to shopping, entertainment
and job centers. Because trips are short, walking and
bicycling are attractive transportation methods in the
mixed-use environment.
Architect and Urban Designer Anton Clarence
Nelessen suggests that every neighborhood should
have a mixed-use core that is one-quarter mile from
the periphery. This design is based on that of urban
areas built prior to World War II when walking and
bicycling were more prevalent. The core should con-
tain office and retail uses to be utilized by residents
on a daily basis. If possible, cores should be located
where the largest number of jobs occur. Housing
density is usually highest at the core and lowest at
the neighborhood periphery. Walkways and bikeways
must connect all neighborhoods to the larger down-
town core.
THE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT (10.14.02)
When asked to identify the most likeable qualities of
the pedestrian environment, respondents to a survey
identified the following (listed in order of popularity):
• trees and landscaping parks
• open space
• quiet streets and sidewalks
• shade on hot days
• historic buildings/neighborhoods
• safety from crime
• benches, places to rest.
When asked to identify the most unappealing quali-
ties, they identified the following (listed in order of
importance):
• air pollution/car exhaust
• litter and garbage
• dangerous street crossings
• traffic noise
• poorly maintained sidewalks
• skateboarders on sidewalks
• panhandlers cyclists on sidewalks
The pedestrian environment consists of the path and
the area around and above it. Walking slow pace
allows the pedestrian to absorb much more of the sur-
rounding environment than motorists can. As a result,
features, which appeal to the senses, make walking a
more attractive option.
Streets are typically designed for automobiles, which
isolate their drivers from the physical street environ-
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ment. As a result, street design tends to neglect cre-
ation of an attractive pedestrian environment. Street
design needs to create appealing pedestrian environ-
ments in order to increase the number of walking
trips made.
Convenience of travel, safety from vehicles and an
interesting environment must all be addressed in the
physical design of the pedestrian path. These pedes-
trian needs are ensured on what Lennertz and Coyle
describe as transportation balanced streets. These
streets have narrow driving lanes, tight curb turning
radii at corners, a buffer of on-street parking, planting
strips between car lanes, and sidewalks and building
front doors and windows at the sidewalk and street.
Traffic calming measures may be necessary on neigh-
borhood streets, which experience high traffic flows.
Grid street patterns enhance the pedestrian environ-
ment by providing people with many connections
between destinations. Small blocks in a grid pattern
are much more conducive to walking than are large
blocks with cul-de-sac streets. Block perimeters of
1,200 to 1,600 feet provide convenient pedestrian
circulation.
Pedestrian environment design must account for dif-
ferent types of walking trips. Peopleʼs willingness
to walk varying distances depends on the situation.
Studies show people will walk two to three minutes
(one-eighth mile), from a parked car to the entrance
of their destination. In a neighborhood, or an employ-
ment area, people will walk five minutes (one-quarter
mile), from the core to the periphery. People will walk
about twice as far—ten minutes (one half-mile) to get
to school or to work.
The pedestrian environment must have human scale
proportions and perceptions. Nelessen defines the
human scale as the relationship between the dimen-
sions of the human body and the proportion of the
spaces people use. Adults are about six feet tall with
an arm span of equal distance and travel at about three
miles an hour. Conversely, automobiles are about six
feet wide, twelve to fifteen feet long and travel about
ten to 100 miles per hour. Clearly, spaces that feel
comfortable to people are much smaller than those
designed for automobiles. Streets must be designed
for the pedestrian as well as to accommodate motor
vehicles.
10.15 Pedestrian and Bicycles
Goals & Policies
GOAL I (10.15.01)
To raise the priority of convenient, safe, accessible,
and attractive walking and bicycling networks.
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POLICIES (10.15.02)
1) Provide walkways and bikeways that are inte-
grated into the transportation system.
2) Incorporate pedestrian and bicycle facility needs
into all planning, design, construction and mainte-
nance activities of the City of Ashland
3) Provide walkways and bikeways in conjunction
with all land divisions, street construction and
reconstruction projects and all commercial, indus-
trial and residential developments.
4) Require pedestrian and bicycle easements to pro-
vide neighborhood connectors and reduce vehicle
trips. Modify street vacation process so pedestrian
and bicyclist through access is maintained.
5) Target walkway and bikeway improvements that
link neighborhoods, schools, retail and service
areas, employment centers and recreation areas.
6) Use design standards that create convenient, safe,
accessible and attractive walkways and bikeways.
7) Design walkways and bikeways for all types of
users including people with disabilities, children
and the elderly.
8) Require sidewalks and pedestrian access in all
developments.
9) Require wide sidewalks in retail areas.
10) Require planting strips and street trees between
the roadway and the sidewalk to buffer pedestri-
ans from vehicles.
11) Require secure, sheltered bicycle parking in busi-
ness developments, institutions, duplexes and
multifamily developments.
12) Design street intersections to facilitate pedestrian
and bicycle travel by using design features such
as, but not limited to, raised medians and islands,
curb extensions, colored, textured and/or raised
crosswalks, minimum necessary curb radii, pedes-
trian crossing push buttons, left and right bike
turn lanes, signal loop detectors in bike lanes and
signal timing conducive to pedestrian and bicycle
travel speeds.
13) Design intersections with equal attention to
pedestrian, bicyclist and motorist safety. Iden-
tify existing intersections that are dangerous for
pedestrians and bicyclists, and develop plan for
redesign of unsafe areas.
14) Develop maintenance program to keep walkways
and bikeways smooth, clean and free of obstruc-
tions.
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15) Pedestrian Traffic should be separated from auto
traffic on streets and in parking lots.
16) Encourage the establishment of a Community-
owned Bicycle Program, allowing the provision
of “loaner” bikes throughout the community for
residents, commuters and tourists.
GOAL II (10.15.03)
To support and encourage increased levels of walk-
ing and bicycling.
POLICIES (10.15.04)
1) Promote decreased auto use and increased walk-
ing, bicycling, public transportation, ride sharing
and other transportation demand management
techniques.
2) Develop and implement a transportation safety
education program.
3) Increase enforcement of pedestrian and bicycle
traffic safety laws. Target motorists, pedestrians
and bicyclists.
4) Increase neighborhood use of Sidewalk LID Pro-
gram.
5) Encourage employer commuter programs to pro-
mote walking, bicycling, public transit, ride shar-
ing and other transportation demand management
techniques.
6) Encourage businesses to inform customers of
available non-auto access to the business locations
and to support customer use of non-auto access.
7) Establish aggressive but realistic performance
targets for increasing walking and bicycling trips
(for personal business, school, social and work).
GOAL III (10.15.05)
Emphasize environments, which enhance pedes-
trian and bicycle usage.
POLICIES (10.15.06)
1) Maintain and improve Ashlandʼs compact urban
form to allow maximum pedestrian and bicycle
travel.
2) Promote a mixed land use pattern, where appro-
priate, and pedestrian environment design that
supports walking and bicycling trips.
3) Develop street design standards that outline street
widths, curb radii, and other pedestrian environ-
ment factors which facilitate walking and bicy-
cling.
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4) Use traffic calming tools to create a safe, conve-
nient and attractive pedestrian and bicycle envi-
ronment to slow speeds, reduce street widths and
interrupt traffic as appropriate in each particular
location.
5) Establish a street tree program to plant more trees
on existing streets and to promote/monitor street
tree care throughout Ashland.
6) Identify areas needing pedestrian and bicycle
amenities, such as rest rooms, benches, pocket
parks and drinking fountains, and develop instal-
lation and funding plan.
7) Encourage public art along multi-modal travel
corridors.
GOAL IV (10.15.07)
To dedicate funding and staff support to imple-
ment the goals and policies of this section.
POLICIES (10.15.08)
1) Identify funding sources for walking and bicy-
cling promotion, planning and facilities construc-
tion.
2) Investigate the creation of the role of transporta-
tion coordinator to facilitate a viable multi-modal
transportation network and achieve Ashlandʼs
transportation goals.
3) Develop transportation program using a compre-
hensive approach with planning and engineering,
education, enforcement and encouragement com-
ponents.
4) Support participation by all City staff involved in
creating the transportation network in educational
programs covering transportation planning, design
and engineering.
5) Consistently incorporate pedestrian and bicycle
facilities in the City of Ashland Capital Improve-
ment Plan.
10.16 Public Transit
INTRODUCTION (10.16.01)
Public Transit, like walking and bicycling, constitutes
an important transportation alternative to the auto-
mobile. Ashland has consistently encouraged public
transportation as an integral part of its transportation
goals. Because of that commitment, public transpor-
tation in Ashland has a relatively high level of use
compared with other areas in the Rogue Valley. In
fact, the Ashland bus routes accounted for 51% of the
Rogue Valley Transportation Districtʼs (RVTD) total
ridership between July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1994.
Ashland bus routes
accounted for 51%
of the Rogue Valley
Transportation Dis-
trictʼs (RVTD) total
ridership between
July 1, 1993 to June
30, 1994.
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In cooperation with Southern Oregon State College
(SOSC) and Rogue Valley Transportation District
(RVTD), the City developed the Reduced Fare Pro-
gram and SOSC Student Pass Program. The Reduced
Fare Program, funded by the City, reduces the fare on
all bus trips within Ashland city limits to 25 cents per
ride. This program increased ridership by 3,000 trips
per month within the Ashland city limits. The SOSC
Student Pass Program allows all students to ride the
bus for free anywhere in the district service area. Stu-
dents simply show their student identification to the
driver for passage. This program is funded by student
fees.
This unique partnership between the City of Ashland,
SOSC and RVTD resulted in increased use of the
public transit system in Ashland. Continued involve-
ment by the City with RVTD is essential to assuring
the current level of service and improving the future
system.
The City must continually find ways to expand public
transportation use in Ashland, for the automobile
remains the most popular travel mode. The number
of Ashland residents driving alone to work increased
9.6% from 1980 to 1990. At the same time, 3% fewer
Ashland residents used public transportation to get
to work. Overall, approximately 1% of the work-
ing population uses public transit to commute. This
means that only 78 of the 7,759 Ashland workers
aged 16 and over regularly use RVTD services to get
to work.
On an average day, a person boarding one of the
RVTD buses on an Ashland route will find that over
one-half of the seats are empty. Although Ashland bus
routes generated 51% of RVTDʼs total ridership from
July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1994, they run on average at
16.2% of total capacity. Ashland bus routes accounted
for 51% of the Rogue Valley Transportation Districtʼs
(RVTD) total ridership between July 1, 1993 to June
30, 1994.
Two out of five Ashland residents (43%) used public
transportation in 1993 according to the Public Aware-
ness and Perception Study completed in Spring 1994
by Laurel Research for RVTD. No single use domi-
nated the public transportation trips. However, 65% of
ridership is centered on commuting to work, school,
and shopping.
10.17 Existing Public
Transit Services
ROGUE VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
DISTRICT: SERVICE AREA AND
GOVERNANCE (10.17.01)
The Rogue Valley Transportation District is Jackson
Countyʼs regional mass transit resource. The Dis-
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trict, which covers approximately 159 square miles,
includes the incorporated cities of Medford, Ashland,
Central Point, Jacksonville, Talent and Phoenix, and
the unincorporated community of White City. The
District serves approximately 122,000 residents who
live within its jurisdiction.
Created in 1975, RVTD is an Oregon special district.
It is supported by revenues from a property tax levy,
state and federal grants, advertising fees, and fares
paid by passengers.
The Oregon legislature established the Elderly and
Disabled Special Transportation Fund (STF) during
the 1984-1985 session. The fund is to help provide
adequate transportation services to those who are
disabled, are age 60 or over, or both. The local advi-
sory committee for Jackson County called the Special
Transportation Advisory Committee (STAC) recom-
mends how STF funds should be distributed. The
RVTD Board of Directors is the local governing body
that takes STAC recommendations and distributes the
funding locally among service providers. In the past,
STF funds have been used to fund the Coupon Con-
nection program, the Retired and Senior Volunteer
Programʼs Call-A-Ride, the Ashland Senior Program
and the Upper Rogue Community Center.
RVTD offers five services—fixed-route bus service,
valley feeder, coupon connection, valley rideshare
and the alternative transportation program. A descrip-
tion of each service follows.
FIXED-ROUTE BUS SERVICE (10.17.02)
The fixed-route bus service is the most recognized
RVTD service. Ten fixed routes totaling approxi-
mately 210 miles operate regularly district wide.
Passenger miles traveled annually exceed 2.5 million.
Most bus routes operate Monday through Saturday.
On workdays, certain routes feature early morning
and late- evening commuter service. Fares are dis-
counted for the elderly (62 years or older), the dis-
abled and children 6 to 12 years old.
ASHLAND BUS ROUTES (10.17.03)
Four fixed-routes directly serve Ashland. Route 5 and
Route 6 are the Ashland Loop routes. They provide
service within Ashland to the Downtown Plaza,
Ashland Library, Ashland Shopping Center, Tolman
Creek Plaza, SOSC and Ashland Hills Inn. Route 10
and Route 15 provide transportation between Ashland
and the Front Street Transfer Station in Medford.
Route 10 turns around in Ashland south of the Plaza
at Oak Street. Route 15 replaces Route 10 and the
Loop Routes during the early morning and evening
“commuting” hours.
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SERVICE SCHEDULE (10.17.04)
Every 15 minutes an RVTD bus arrives at each RVTD
stop within Ashland. From Medford to Ashland, there
is a 30-minute service frequency.
Ashland does not have an official transfer station.
However, riders coming into Ashland from the north
on Route 10 and Route 15 can catch the Ashland
Loop routes, Route 5 and Route 6 at the Ashland
Plaza bus stop. Currently, no park and ride facilities
exist in Ashland.
Route 5 and Route 6 run on 30-minute schedules. It
takes a bus leaving the Ashland Plaza stop 30 min-
utes to make all stops along the loop and return once
again to the Ashland Plaza stop. Route 10 runs on a
70-minute schedule. A one-way trip from the Ashland
Plaza to Front Street Transfer Station in Medford
on Route 10 takes approximately 30 minutes. Route
15 runs on a 78-minute schedule. Route 15 includes
the 30 minute trip to Medford (Route 10) plus the
Ashland Loop route (Routes 5 and 6).
BUS STOPS (10.17.05)
There are 46 bus stops throughout Ashland, 21 for
northbound routes and 25 for south bound routes. The
amenities offered at the bus stops range from a pole
and a sign to a covered waiting area with a bench.
Eleven bus stops have covered waiting areas.
RVTD FLEET (10.17.05)
In Spring 1995, the majority of the fleet was con-
verted to buses using compressed natural gas (CNG)
for fuel. The RVTD fleet includes 16 buses: 11 CNG
vehicles and 5 diesel fuel vehicles. All of the CNG
buses are equipped with bike racks. Prior to the con-
version to CNG buses, the fleet operated at 15.8% of
total capacity on the Ashland routes. Based on 1993/
1994 ridership figures, the CNG fleet runs at approxi-
mately 40% of total capacity on Ashland routes.
RIDERSHIP VOLUMES (10.17.06)
Approximately 51% of RVTD ridership was gener-
ated by the Ashland bus routes in fiscal year 1993/
1994. A total number of 69,320 boardings were made
on Route 5, 246,480 boardings on Route 10 and
96,266 on Route 15. Because Route 6 was relatively
new (instituted in July 1994), ridership data was not
available at this writing.
Routes 5, 10 and 15 are in heaviest use during the
evening peak hour 3:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. Rider-
ship on Route 6 is comparable to Route 5 during the
evening peak hour, but has the most use during the
midday from 9:00 a.m, to 2:59 p.m. The aver- age trip
length on Route 5 and 6 is approximately 1.9 miles,
and the average trip length on Route 10 and 15 is
approximately 6.4 miles.
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VALLEY FEEDER (10.17.08)
The Valley Feeder program is a shuttle service that
delivers people to the nearest RVTD bus stop from
designated stops near where they live or work. Per-
sons needing transportation in a Valley Feeder Ser-
vice Area call the service number, and a dispatcher
arranges to have a Valley Feeder taxi meet them at a
designated pickup point. Valley Feeder stops are iden-
tified by distinctive green and white signs. If a person
needs a shuttle on their return trip from a bus stop to
a Valley Feeder Service Area, they tell the bus driver
when boarding, and the bus driver arranges to have
a Valley Feeder taxi meet the rider at the designated
pickup point. Valley Feeder clients do not have to pay
for the shuttle service ride, but pay the regular bus
fare once they board the RVTD bus.
The Valley Feeder program enables RVTD to deliver
reliable transit service into neighborhoods where it
isnʼt practical or economically feasible to operate
a full-size transit bus. There are six existing Valley
Feeder Service Areas in Jackson County: the Lower
Table Rock Road area east of Central Point, the Sage
Road area in northwest Medford, the Upper Table
Rock Road area and White City area in White City,
the Brookdale area near Providence Hospital and the
Kings Highway area in southwest Medford. In fiscal
year 1993/1994, 4,925 Valley Feeder trips serviced
9,254 passengers. Presently, there are no Valley
Feeder Service Areas in Ashland.
COUPON CONNECTION (10.17.09)
The Coupon Connection program is a service for
people whose disability or age may prevent them from
using a bus or from traveling to a bus stop. This pro-
gram is considered “comparable paratransit service”
under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The program uses local taxis under contract with
RVTD. People who meet the eligibility requirements
receive coupons that they use to pay for their taxi trips.
Coupon Connection clients make arrangement for their
trips with the local taxi company of their choice. Ride
requests can be made from up to 14 days in advance
to within an hour of a riderʼs appointment. Coupon
Connection service is available from any origin to any
destination within the RVTD service area.
PURPOSE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT TRIPSFOR ASHLAND RESIDENTS
Commuting to/from work... 27%
Travel to school/college... 14%
To go shopping... 24%
Travel to recreation... 11%
To visit friends... 11%
To medical care... 0%
Special events... 11%
Other... 3%
(from “Public Awareness and Perception Study”, Spring 1994,
by Laurel Research for RVTD)
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In fiscal year 1993/1994, there were 1,921 Coupon
Connection rides made by 137 Ashland residents.
Districtwide, 38,167 Coupon Connection rides were
provided in the same time period.
VALLEY RIDESHARE (10.17.10)
Through the Valley Rideshare program, RVTD pro-
vides detailed information and planning support to
Jackson County residents and employers interested
in carpooling and vanpooling programs. Workplace
surveys help match employees interested in sharing
rides. Approximately 40 people are enrolled district
wide in the Valley Rideshare program.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
(10.17.11)
RVTDʼs Alternative Transportation staff provides
information and referrals regarding various transporta-
tion services, activities and organizations. RVTD is
also a regional clearinghouse for information about
telecommuting. Telecommuting enables employees to
work from home using telephone and computer equip-
ment as an alternative to commuting daily by car.
Future transportation projects, including public transit
projects, currently planned and funded are described
in Appendix A.
10.18 Public Transit Needs
As with other transportation concerns, Ashland
citizens gathered at several neighborhood meetings
held by the City between February and April 1994.
At these meetings, residents contributed many ideas
for public transit facility and service improvements.
Appendix B includes a complete set of comments
expressed at the neighborhood meetings concerning
public transit.
Among them were several common ideas, which indi-
cate specific areas of concern. People were interested
in new connections within the city to the Ashland
Hospital and nearby medical offices, on East Main
Street and Walker Avenue and to neighborhoods. A
park and ride, an express commute service between
Ashland and Medford, daily routes to Grants Pass and
Yreka and an interstate bus depot were identified as
regional needs. Residents suggested extending service
hours to the evening and to Sundays and expand-
ing the frequency of service in the downtown area
during the tourist season. Regionally, bus stops were
described as needing such improvements such as shel-
ter from the weather, maps and bus schedules on-site,
lighting, drinking fountains, bathrooms, telephones
and newspaper machines.
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The future viability of public transit in Ashland is
dependent on two factors. One involves Ashland
residentsʼ perception of public transportation. The
other factor concerns tangible improvements, such
as adding new routes and amenities to bus stops and
providing shuttle service to outlying neighborhoods.
PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC TRANSIT (10.18.01)
As discussed earlier in this document, Ashland citi-
zens must change their priorities in order to make
public transportation more viable. In the 1980s
although the population increased 8.5%, the number
of vehicle trips increased by 39%. When surveyors
asked people living in Ashland why they hadnʼt used
public transportation, 46% said, “I drive my own car”
and 10% said “1 donʼt have a need for it.” Only 29%
of respondents cited reasons such as “inconvenient
times, not available in the area or too expensive.”
These figures suggest that over one-half of Ashland
residents do not see the bus as an alternative to driv-
ing their cars. Ashland residents think of public trans-
portation as a product of necessity, not choice, and
they only ride the bus when their car is not available.
Unfortunately, Ashland residents see RVTD services
as being good for other people in the community,
but not necessarily as being advantageous for their
own families and businesses. While 56% of Ashland
residents rate RVTD services as excellent or as a
good value to the community, only 24% rated RVTD
services as high value to their families, and only 19%
rated RVTD services as high value to their businesses.
The RVTD Board of Directors has long directed
services and promotional activities toward non-driv-
ers -those who are unable to drive a car or who do
not have access to a car. Providing access to this core
group is important and should be considered the very
minimum level of service. Future efforts however,
should concentrate on persuading people who have
and drive personal automobiles to become public
transportation users. The public perception of public
transit as a “product of necessity” needs to be shifted
to public transit as a “product of choice.” The City
should work with RVTD to expand the range of users
while maintaining the minimum level of service.
FACILITY AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
(10.18.02)
Current and future facility and service needs for
Ashland and the entire RVTD service are outlined
in the districtʼs Ten Year Community Transportation
Plan for 1996 to 2006. Although RVTD is directly
responsible for identifying and addressing the needs,
the City of Ashland has been an active partner in
...over one-half of
Ashland residents do
not see the bus as an
alternative to driving
their cars.
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facilitating this process. In the interest of viable
public transit, the City will continue to work with
RVTD and SOSC.
10.19 Public Transit
Goals and Policies
GOAL (10.19.01)
To create a public transportation system that is
linked to pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle
travel modes, and is as easy and efficient to use as
driving a motor vehicle.
POLICIES (10.19.02)
1) Develop pedestrian and bicycle networks that are
linked to the public transportation routes.
2) Zoning shall allow for residential densities and
a mix of commercial businesses within walking
distance (one-quarter to one-half mile) of existing
and planned public transit services which support
use of public transportation.
3) Work with the local public transit provider to pro-
vide service within one-fourth of a mile of every
home in Ashland.
4) Promote and support express commuter service
between cities in the Rogue Valley.
5) Incorporate needs of people who donʼt drive when
developing transit routes and facilities.
6) Provide pleasant, clean, safe, comfortable shelters
along transit lines.
7) Require residential and commercial development
within one-quarter of a mile of existing or future
public transit services to provide transit shelters,
bus access, and bus turnaround areas.
8) Install bike racks or lockers at transit stops.
9) Identify park and ride, bike and ride and walk and
ride lots in Ashland to support ridesharing.
10) Develop a transportation center in Ashland.
11) Encourage promotional and educational activities
that encourage people who own cars and school
children to use public transit.
12) Work with the local public transit provider to
address the specific public transportation needs of
Ashland.
13) Participate and show leadership in interacting with
counties, cities and other special governments in
Southern Oregon to develop regional public trans-
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portation services to reduce the frequency and
length of vehicular trips.
14) Establish aggressive but realistic performance tar-
gets for increasing public transit use for the short,
medium and long run.
10.20 Commercial Freight
and Passenger Transportation
INTRODUCTION (10.20.01)
Commercial freight and passenger transportation in
and connecting to Ashland takes place via the air,
rail, water, pipeline and highway systems. Air, rail,
water, pipeline and highway freight transportation is
discussed below. Public passenger transportation is
discussed in the Public Transit section.
10.21 Air Transportation
ASHLAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (10.21.01)
Ashland Municipal Airport is located on approxi-
mately 94 acres, 3 miles northeast of downtown
Ashland at the extreme eastern boundary of the city
limits. Airport elevation is at 1,894 feet mean sea
level (MSL). Access to the airport is provided by
Dead Indian Memorial Road, which connects to East
Main Street. Interstate 5 is located one-half mile west
of the airport, with access provided via Greensprings
Highway. The airport is bordered on the east, west
and south by sloping valley lands surrounded by
rising mountainous terrain.
The Ashland Municipal Airport is classed as a general
aviation airport by the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion (FAA). General aviation includes every type of
civil flying other than the certified air carriers — busi-
ness, commercial, instructional and personal. Ashland
Municipal Airport is owned and operated by the City
of Ashland under the Department of Public Works.
The City holds an operating agreement with a fixed
base operator to administer tie-down and hangar rents,
fuel flowage fees, etc.
The airport was established at its current site in the
1940s. The airstrip was developed by Sumner Parker,
a local pilot, and leased to the City of Ashland for use
as a public airport. The City continued to lease the
property and make improvements to the airfield into
the 1960s. In 1964, the City purchased the airstrip
and the property surrounding it, and received Fed-
eral approval of the site. At that time, the airport was
renamed Ashland Municipal Airport - Sumner Parker
Field. For a complete description of existing airport
facilities, see chapter 3 of the Airport Master Plan.
The City, in cooperation with the Oregon Department
of Transportation (ODOT), under a Federal Aviation
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Administration (FAA) grant, retained SFC Engineer-
ing Company to update the Airport Master Plan to
determine airport facilities required to serve the vicin-
ity through the year 2012. The City Council adopted
the plan as a supporting document to the Comprehen-
sive Plan on March 2, 1993.
Aviation demand forecasts from the Airport Master
Plan indicate airport operations will grow at a rela-
tively modest rate through the year 2012. Based on
the forecasts and an inventory of the existing facili-
ties, the plan includes an airport layout and capital
improvement plan for recommended airport improve-
ments to meet forecast aviation demand during the
20-year planning period. Recommended improve-
ments include the development of new hangar facili-
ties, aircraft storage and business-oriented aviation
activity, addition of airport security fencing around
the perimeter of the airport, construction of a heli-
copter landing area, provision of a non-precision
instrument approach, and upgrading of runway edge
lighting from low to medium intensity.
The Airport Master Plan is the ruling document con-
cerning airport development and is hereby adopted by
reference. Any transportation system improvements
involving air transportation or development which
may impact or be impacted by the Ashland Municipal
Airport should consult the Airport Master Plan for the
City of Ashland, October 1992.
ROGUE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL-
MEDFORD AIRPORT (10.21.02)
The Rogue Valley International - Medford Airport
provides the nearest scheduled commercial service
carriers for passengers and/or freight, approximately
16 miles northwest of Ashland. The airport provides
both air carrier and regional air service to cities
throughout the Northwest and connections to larger
markets and beyond. The airport lies on 989 acres
within the city limits of Medford, and approximately
three miles north of the central business district of
Medford on Biddle Road near Interstate 5.
The airport was established at its current site in 1940.
It was a military airport and was turned over to the
City of Medford at the end of World War II. In 1971,
Jackson County became responsible for the airportʼs
operation. In January 1995, the airport was designated
as a foreign trade zone and became an international
point of entry.
OTHER FACILITIES (10.21.03)
Other air facilities in the region include a public
general airport and Air National Guard Base in Klam-
ath Falls, and small strips in Shady Cove, Beagle and
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Cave Junction. Klamath Falls and Coos Bay are also
recognized as foreign trade zones.
10.22 Rail Transportation
The Siskiyou Line of the Southern Pacific Rail
System runs from Springfield, Oregon through Rose-
burg, Grants Pass, Central Point, Medford, Phoenix,
Talent and Ashland. The portion of the line running
south from Ashland through the Siskiyou Mountains
to Montague, California is known as the Black Butte
Line. Both lines are limited to the transport of freight.
At the time of this writing, the Siskiyou and Black
Butte lines were owned by Rail Tex and operated by
Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad, Inc. (COPR), a
subsidiary of Rail Tex.
Ashland citizens gathered to discuss transportation
concerns at several neighborhood meetings held by
the City between February and April 1994. At these
meetings, residents expressed a desire to have com-
muter rail service between Ashland and Grants Pass.
Appendix B includes a complete set of comments
expressed at the neighborhood meetings.
An analysis conducted for the Rogue Valley Regional
Transportation Plan found land use development
based on current zoning projected to be at densities
that are too low to support a commuter rail service.
(The Rogue Valley Regional Transportation Plan
is the long-range transportation plan for the Rogue
Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, a geo-
graphic area established by the Governor encompass-
ing Medford, Central Point, Phoenix and White City.)
As stated in the Street System Section, alternatives
such as commuter rail service cannot succeed if an
auto-oriented low-density development pattern con-
tinues throughout the region. Regional land use pat-
terns must change so that non-auto travel modes can
be viable options in the future.
10.23 Water Transportation
The rivers in Southwest Oregon are used primarily for
recreational purposes such as river rafting, fishing and
kayaking. The largest river in the area is the Rogue
River, with sections protected under the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act. Water transportation is not feasible
on the Rogue River and small water sources such as
Bear Creek.
The Port of Coos Bay located approximately 178
miles northwest of Ashland is an international/
national shipping facility and is the closest Oregon
port to Ashland. The Oregon Transportation Plan
identifies the Port of Coos Bay as a major inter-modal
hub facility. (The Oregon Transportation Plan defines
an intermodal hub as a facility where two or more
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modes of transportation interact so that people and/or
goods can be transferred from one mode to another,
for example, from a bus to an airplane or from a truck
to a train.) The port serves as a link to the interna-
tional marketplace with access to multi-modal con-
nections, including air and rail freight service.
10.24 Pipeline Transportation
WP Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Washington Water
and Power, serves Jackson County with a 10-inch
steel high pressure main from its origin at the Grants
Pass terminus of the Northwest Pipeline transmission
facility. The pipeline is located in the Interstate 5 cor-
ridor.
At the time of this writing, a new WP gas trans-
mission from Klamath Falls to Ashland was under
construction. The new line is intended to increase
capacity and thereby meet increasing demand for
service in the greater Southern Oregon region. For
further information, refer to the Oregon Pipeline
Transportation Plan.
10.25 Highway Freight
Transportation
Highway freight transportation is the movement of
goods and services by truck. The key to providing
effective freight movement is a boulevard and avenue
street system that can support truck traffic and has
continuous connections within the city and to inter-
modal hubs and interregional routes. The Oregon
Transportation Plan suggests streets used for freight
transportation should provide a Level of Service C
(LOS C) during off-peak periods.
Trucks are permitted to use all boulevard and avenue
streets in Ashland, with the exception of Oak Street,
which has weight limitations. Highway freight trans-
portation in the Rogue Valley metropolitan planning
region is concentrated along designated truck routes.
These designated truck routes include Interstate 5,
Crater Lake Highway and Lake of the Woods High-
way.
As Ashlandʼs future street network is planned, truck
access to the city from the north and south and cir-
culation of truck traffic within the city needs to be
reviewed. The provision of truck facilities should be
considered in conjunction with the goals and policies
of the Economic Element of the Ashland Compre-
hensive Plan. The Economic Element encourages a
diverse economy that retains Ashlandʼs high qual-
ity environment. Clearly, the type of truck facilities
the City provides needs to match the type, size and
freight requirements of current and future businesses
in Ashland. On a regional and state basis, truck travel
needs to be coordinated with highway freight systems
outlined in the Rogue Valley Regional Transportation
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Plan, Oregon Transportation Plan and Oregon High-
way Plan.
Future transportation projects currently planned and
funded are described in Appendix A.
10.26 Commercial Freight
and Passenger Transportation
Goals and Policies
GOALS (10.26.01)
To provide efficient and effective movement of
goods, services and passengers by air, rail, water,
pipeline, and highway freight transportation while
maintaining the high quality of life of Ashland.
POLICIES
1) Review development within the Airport Overlay
Zone to ensure compatibility with the Ashland
Municipal Airport.
2) Explore intra-city commuter rail service on exist-
ing rail lines.
3) Mitigate railroad noise through the use of berming
and landscaping in developments adjacent to the
railroad and which are impacted by railroad noise.
4) Maintain boulevard and avenue street facilities
adequate for truck travel within Ashland.
5) Coordinate with County, regional, State and Fed-
eral jurisdictions to maintain and develop inter-
modal hubs, which allow goods and passengers to
move from truck or automobile to rail to ship or
plane.
6) Encourage the use of rail transport for the move-
ment of goods and passengers as a means of
conserving energy and reducing reliance on the
automobile.
10.27 Summary
In the preceding five sections, the Transportation Ele-
ment of the Comprehensive Plan has examined many
of the critical issues that face Ashland as it plans a
viable and livable future. As the population grows in
coming decades, pedestrian, bicycle, public transit
and motor vehicle transportation will figure promi-
nently in decisions that affect the communityʼs quality
of life. As stated earlier in this document, the Trans-
portation Element is intended as a guide to Ashlandʼs
development in residential, commercial and indus-
trial neighborhoods, and it offers the groundwork for
sound transportation planning. The joint efforts of
citizens, planning staff and government representa-
tives should ensure that thoughtful decisions are made
and implemented for the future.
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10.28 APPENDIX A:
Committed Facilities
INTRODUCTION (10.28.01)
Committed facilities, as defined by the Oregon Trans-
portation Planning Rule, are proposed transportation
facilities and programs that have approved funding.
The following section summarizes the committed
facilities in place at the time of writing. Section
CITY AND STATE TRANSPORTATION
(10.28.02)
Capital Improvement Projects The City Capital
Improvements Plan, 1996-97 Through 2001-02,
includes 15 transportation projects. Status in the
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) 1996-
1998 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
is noted for projects involving the State. The con-
struction and funding of projects on state highways is
largely determined by ODOT. Further project details
and costs are detailed in the City of Ashland Capital
Improvements Plan, 1996-97 through 2001-2002 and
the 1996-1998 Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program.
• Sidewalk Installation throughout the City — This
project includes design and construction of side-
walk facilities throughout Ashland. The purpose
is to provide greater continuity in the sidewalk
system.
• Ashland Street Redesign — This project includes
side- walk expansion and landscape improve-
ments beginning a t the intersection of Siskiyou
Boulevard and Ashland Street. The purpose of the
project is to increase pedestrian and bicycle use of
the area.
• Bikeway from Railroad Park to Shamrock Lane
— Construction of a 1.3-mile bicycle/pedestrian
path adjacent to the railroad tracks. The purpose
is to provide a safe pathway through the city for
bicyclists and pedestrians. This project is included
in the 1996-1998 Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program.
• Siskiyou Boulevard Redesign — Construction of
.57 miles of bikeway along Siskiyou Boulevard.
The project is designed to provide a direct, con-
venient and safe travel route through the city for
bicyclists. The installation of bike lanes on High-
way 99 from Valley View Road to Walker Avenue
is included in the 1996-1998 Statewide Transpor-
tation Improvement Program.
• Bus Shelters — This project will replace four
shelters and construct two new shelters at exist-
ing bus stops. The six shelters will be located in
the following areas: on the plaza, in front of the
library, in front of Safeway, at Palm Avenue and
Siskiyou Boulevard, at SOSC near Bridge Street,
and on the Water Street overpass on Lithia Way.
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The shelter areas will be improved to include
lighting, a bicycle rack and a drinking fountain.
The position of the shelters will be changed
slightly to provide a view sight of the oncoming
bus. The new shelters are designed to encourage
ridership by offering a more attractive and useful
environment in which to wait for the bus.
• Senior Shuttle Bus — Purchase of a 17 to 21 pas-
senger bus equipped with wheel chair lift kit, air
conditioning and a mobile radio. The bus is used to
transport local senior citizens to various locations.
• Reconstruction of East Main Street from Railroad
Tracks to Walker Avenue — East Main Street
will be re-paved, have storm drains installed and
have sidewalks constructed on both sides from the
railroad tracks near California Street to Walker
Avenue.
• Realignment of the Intersection of Indiana Street
and Siskiyou Boulevard — Reconstruction of
the intersection, including curbing, crosswalk
and storm drain construction. The purpose of
the project is to improve pedestrian and vehicle
movement and efficiency from Indiana Street to
Siskiyou Boulevard.
• Rebuild Sherman Street from Siskiyou Boulevard
to Iowa Street — Sherman Street will be com-
pletely torn out and replaced including the curb,
gutter and storm drain system.
• Rebuild Union Street from Siskiyou Boulevard to
Auburn Street — Union Street will be completely
torn out and replaced including curb, gutter and
storm drain system.
• Signals at the Intersection of East Main Street and
Mountain Avenue — This project includes the
installation of new turn signals at the intersection
of East Main Street and Mountain Avenue. The
purpose of the project is to address increasing cur-
rent and future traffic flows.
• Airport Security/Fencing — Construction of chain
link fencing around the perimeter of the Airport
property. The purpose of the project is to pre-
vent people and animals from roaming onto the
runway.
• Eight Unit T-hangars — Construction of a new
block of eight T-hangars adjacent to the 18 T-
hangars currently being used. The purpose of the
project is to meet consistent demand for enclosed
hangars.
• Six Unit T- hangar and Turf Tie Down Area
— Construction of a six unit T-hangar and an area
dedicated and equipped as a turf tie down area.
The purpose of the project is to meet demand for
aircraft storage facilities.
• East Area Access to Taxi Lanes — Construction
of a road, including grading and drainage, for
access to the eastside of the airport.
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The following projects are included in the 1996-1998
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, but
are not included in the Cityʼs Capital Improvement
Program.
• Ashland Park and Ride Lot — This is a RVTD
project scheduled for construction in 1997.
• Bear Creek Greenway from South Valley View
Road to Ashland — This is a Jackson County
project scheduled for construction in 1996.
SIDEWALK LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
(LID) (10.28.03)
The City began a Sidewalk Local Improvement Dis-
trict program in July 1995. Through the program, the
City pays 25% of sidewalk construction, and provides
engineering and inspection for residential neighbor-
hoods that form a LID for sidewalk improvements.
PRIORITY WALKING CORRIDORS (10.28.04)
The City began a Priority Walking Corridor program
in July 1995. The purpose of the program is to iden-
tify sidewalk needs for high priority construction
funding.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) SIDEWALK PROJECTS (10.28.05)
Beginning July 1994, the City was entitled to receive
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
from the federal Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). A portion of the funds was
earmarked for sidewalks in eligible neighborhoods.
As defined by HUD, a neighborhood having 51%
or more of the residents earning at or below 80% of
median income is eligible.
Sidewalk projects are selected on a yearly basis.
There are two restrictions on the use of the CDBG
funds: The funding can not be used to install side-
walks in front of commercial property; and 2) the
sidewalk improvements can not be constructed along
an boulevard or avenue. Continuation of CDBG side-
walk project funding depends on two factors: 1) the
“entitlement” status of the City, and 2) the future of
HUD as a federal program.
10.29 APPENDIX B: Comments
from Neighborhood Meetings
INTRODUCTION (10.29.01)
The transportation planning process began with six
neighborhood meetings in February and March 1994.
Participants identified their issues, concerns and needs
relating to transportation in the city. One meeting was
held in each of the neighborhoods shown on the map
below.
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The neighborhood meetings generated a wide variety
of comments. The following two tables summarize
the citizen input gathered at the meetings. The mate-
rial is, whenever possible, verbatim comments citi-
zens gave at the neighborhood meetings.
• Table l/Comment Highlights-comments concern-
ing pedestrian, bicycle, public transit and other
subjects that repeatedly came up. Specific ideas
about issues in neighborhoods are also included.
• Table 2/Automobile Comment High- lights-com-
ments concerning driving in Ashland. Presented in
a separate table because the comments tended to
focus on specific areas more than the information
in Table I.
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TABLE 1 – COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS (for neighborhood meeetings)
Mode
PEDESTRIAN
General
more benches, bathrooms
& water; complete sidewalk
network/make connections
dramatically mark crosswalks
educate public on pedestrian
laws—utility bills & cable t.v.
safety programs
tree barrier between sidewalk & streets (wider)
post pedestrian crossings
improve existing curb cuts &
install more
separate pedestrians from bicycles
hand rails on steep sidewalks
incorporate neighborhood pathways to neighborhood parks
retrofit pedestrian crossing—
raise to increase pedestrian
safety, widen to width of cars
stamped concrete identifying
pedestrian/vehicle intersection
traffic calming measures to slow autos in pedestrian areas
City Wide
difficult crossing Siskiyou at
SOSC
islands on Ashland St.
crosswalks across N. Main
traffic light across 3rd & Lithia
Way for pedestrian safety
sidewalk on Ashland St.
need white step off zone at
crosswalks to stop cars—espe-
cially N. Main, Lithia Way &
Siskiyou
library crosswalk unsafe for pedestrians
clear crossing at Water & E.
Main (diagonal)
greenway plan—open space/
natural area/park “nodes” with
connection to walking paths
Neighborhood
crosswalk on Ashland St. &
Ray Lane
sidewalk on Walker
sidewalk on Oak
crosswalk at Hersey & Oak
pedestrian path from Williams Way to RR district
sidewalks on Nevada St.
additional pedestrian scale lighting B St.
sidewalks on 8th St.
sidewalks on Scenic
sidewalk on Nutley from Gran-ite to Winburn Way
sidewalks on Tolman Creek
Road
need path from alley to Hill-view
sidewalk or path on Wimer
Orange St. parkrow
72 transportation element
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 73
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
TABLE 1 CONTINUED – COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS (for neighborhood meeetings)
Mode
BICYCLE
General
bike racks on busses
bike racks at bus shelters—covered and secure
improve paving/grates are
hazardous
benches, bathrooms, shelters & water for cyclists
educate cyclists & public on
safety—in schools
keep paths free of debirs
bike paths that don’t compete with traffic
additional bike paths/lanes
level bike routes/gradual slopes
make paths closer to stores
park/ride for bike w/locked
facilities
direct bike routes
bike parking near doors of
buildings
City Wide
real bike path through down-
town—on Lithia Way & E. Main
use RR tracks for bike path
bike lane on N. Main
need a safe way for cyclists to get all the way through town
paths on Siskiyou would be
safer for cyclists, pedestrians
& cars
safe path from N. Main to
library
link Bear Creek trail to Ashland
Neighborhood
safer access on B St.
lane on Oak to Greenway
lane on Helman
lanes on hillside streets
no more building on Wimer
without provision for cyclists
lane on A St. to Mountain
path on C St.
72 transportation element
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 73
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
TABLE 1 CONTINUED – COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS (for neighborhood meeetings)
Mode
PUBLIC TRANSIT
General
park & ride areas
more covered bus stops
bathrooms at bus stops
extend evening hours
stops closer to neighborh-
hoods or shuttles
lighting at bus stops &
approaches
encourage hotel/motel guests to use bus
need on-call service
increase timeliness of buses
more frequent runs
service on Sunday
need on-site bus info & maps at stops
need free zone in core area
of city
City Wide
bus service to hillls
express bus earlier for com-muters to Medford
need turnouts on N. Main so
don’t stop on street
bus route to hospital & medical offices
bus route on E. Main—regular
route/school time route
interstate bus depot
bus to Grants Pass & Yreka
Neighborhood
bus to Oak St. & Helman St.
service to hillside area
74 transportation element
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 75
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
TABLE 1 CONTINUED – COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS (for neighborhood meeetings)
Mode
OTHER
General
better street lighting—motion
sensitive
revise taxi ordinance for flex-ibility for rickshaws, golf carts, electric carts
scooter parking
encourage mopeds
keep horses off sidewalks—
road apples are dangerous
encourage alternative auto use
(electric, golf carts)
use children/bikes/residential neighborhood signs to increase awareness of neigh-borhood
separate modes
delivery service for large pack-ages for people using alterna-tive modes
trolley/trams like San Luis
Obispo
City Wide
better access to Bear Creek
access to Ashland Creek
special lane on Siskiyou for
3-in-car, bike, bus
electric rail from plaza to Medford
Neighborhood
signs on Oak St. obscured by
trees
zoning changes for corner groceries in Quiet Village
water fountains in Helman area
access for school children to Helman School from Oak across creek
neighborhood market needed
by hospital
more short cuts for pedestri-
ans & bicyclists—RR district
to Hersey, Oak to Helman,
Hersey to Patterson
need park in Briscoe neighbor-hood so don’t have to travel so much
74 transportation element
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
transportation element 75
Printed July 2005
City of ASHLAND, OREGON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
TABLE – AUTOMOBILE COMMENTS (for neighborhood meeetings)
Mode
INTERSECTION
General
control parking near intersec-
tions
visibility concern at intersec-toins
City Wide
install signal at E. Main &
Gresham
signal at Siskiyou & Walker
realignment of Siskiyou &
Indiana
traffic light needed at Tolman & Siskiyou
need no turn on red light sign
at Siskiyou & Mountain
need longer turn signal at
Walker & Ashland St.
light or 4-way stop at E. Main & Mountain
3rd & Main dangerous inter-
section
E. Main should have stop signs at Tolman Creek, Walker & Mountain
bad intersections Maple & N.
Main, Wimer & N. Main
stop light at Lithia & Oak
Neighborhood
1st & B St. intersection vis-
ibility
stop sign at Hillview & Peachy
visibility going up hill at Scenic
& Church
need stop signs by minimarket
by VanNess
difficult to cross or turn left on E. Main from Mallard or North Wightman
Memo
Date: March 18, 2024
From: Scott A. Fleury
To: Transportation Advisory Committee RE: Distracted Driving Resolutions BACKGROUND: DKS Associates is the subconsultant traffic engineering firm to Dowl on the Ashland Street and
North Mountain Avenue rehabilitation projects. As directed by the TAC and City Council staff asked DKS to investigate continuous green striping and bike boxes for signaled intersections. The addition of continuous green striping is not and issue and will be added to the updated striping plan developed by DKS as part of the Ashland St. and North Mountain Ave. projects
(allowed by MUTCD). For installation of Bike Boxes, the MUTCD has warrants/criteria that must be met, see below:
a. There is a combination through and right-turn lane for vehicles to the left of a through bike lane, and the cross-product of peak hour right-turning
vehicles with through and right-turning bicycles equals 5,000 or more per PBOT's Traffic Design Manual, Section 6 Traffic Control and Design for People Biking (page 97 of 153) b. The crash history indicates an average of two or more reported crashes over a five-year period of a type susceptible to correction by use of a bike box.
c. Bicycle priority is desired in the form of a queue jump. d. Engineering judgment indicates that a bike box would improve the safety of an approach due to complexity of intersection geometry, high percentage of right-turning large vehicles or other factors.
DKS review against warrants:
For Ashland St/Walker Ave, using ODOT crash data from 2017-2021, there appears to have been 3 crashes, none of which involved a cyclist or would be mitigated by a bike box. Therefore bullet 2 is not satisfied. Moreover, the intersection does not seem to have contributing factors that would lead to bullet 4 being satisfied. Therefore this leaves bullet 1 and 3 as possibilities to justify the bike box. Bullet 1 requires collecting turning movement counts and bullet 3 could be
up to the City. Ultimately, without knowing the amount of motorists making right turns from Ashland St onto Walker Ave, and without knowing the number of cyclists going through the intersection, it is difficult to definitely recommend bike boxes here without more information.
The new MUTCD has Bike Boxes in it now, so that means there are now standards related to the
installation of a bike box we need to abide by. We want to be sure you and your team are aware
that the following changes will be needed at the signal if bike boxes are installed:
o Right turn on red will need to be prohibited on Ashland St (MUTCD Standard)
o Signal timing will need to be adjusted to accommodate longer yellow change and red
clearance intervals related to the stop bar moving back 10' to make room for the bike box.
(MUTCD Standard)
o If the bike box extends across 2 or all 3 of the lanes: the Phase 4 ped heads on the NW and SW corners and the Phase 8 Ped heads on the NE and SE corners will need to be replaced or reconfigured to have a countdown interval on all signal cycles regardless if pedestrians
actuation (MUTCD Standard)
Given all the information presented above - please let us know if you would like to move forward with installing bike boxes at Ashland St/Walker Ave and we will be sure to get this into our plans.
CONCLUSION:
Action required, discuss installation of a bike box at the intersection of Ashland Street and Walker Avenue as an addition to the Ashland Street Rehabilitation Project. The TAC should make a recommendation to the Public Works Director on whether or not to include this feature and its associated changes to the intersection.
G:\pub-wrks\eng\dept-admin\TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION\2024 Staff Memos\March 21\Vision Zero Action Plan\Vision Zero Action Plan Development (March 2024).doc
Memo
Date: March 12, 2024
From: Scott A. Fleury
To: Transportation Commission RE: Vision Zero Action Plan Development BACKGROUND: The Transportation Commission and now Transportation Advisory Committee have had
numerous discussions over the past few years regarding the Vision Zero Program. The last item developed was the Vision Zero Resolution that was brought before the City Council for approval at the March 5, 2024 Business Meeting. The Council approved the resolution and now the TAC can begin work on development of an Action Plan.
Staff has attached three documents to this staff report to help assist development of an Action Plan. 1. Vision Zero Action Plan (draft template) 2. Vision, Strategies, Action 3. Moving from Vision to Action
The Foundational Elements of a Vision Zero Action Plan include: 1. Robust Data Framework 2. Actionable Strategies 3. Implementation
4. Evaluation
G:\pub-wrks\eng\dept-admin\TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION\2024 Staff Memos\March 21\Vision Zero Action Plan\Vision Zero Action Plan Development (March 2024).doc
As the Commission and Public Works staff move forward with the Transportation System Plan Update process, there will be a direct connection to development of strategies, goals, projects and timelines that can be utilized to construct the formal action plan.
Discussion Questions:
1. How does the Commission wish to address the framework of a Vision Zero Action Plan? a. Vision Zero Task Force i. Transportation Commission ii. Others
b. Community Input
i. Communities of Concern (equity) c. Data Sources & Framework i. ODOT ii. City of Ashland
iii. Census Information iv. Planning/Zoning d. Goals & Timelines i. What does success look like ii. Who is primarily responsible for achieving goals in associated timeframe?
iii. What are the conditions and limitations for success? e. Strategies & Accountability i. Fundable f. Transparency i. Website
ii. Continuous Feedback iii. Regular Meetings iv. Assessments g. Project List development based on Community Input
2. How do we tie in the Transportation System Plan Update? a. Community Input (Public Involvement Plan) i. Communities of Concern b. Project List development based on Community Input i. Prioritization process
ii. Funding scenarios/options CONCLUSION: Action required: Committee should discuss next steps for a Vision Zero Action Plan.
City of Ashland Vision Zero Action Plan
Acknowledgements
City of Ashland Council
Mayor Tonya Graham
Dylan Bloom
Paula Hyatt
Gina DuQuenne
Eric Hansen
Jeff Dahle
Bob Kaplan
City of Ashland Transportation Commission
Linda Peterson-Adams
Corrine Vievielle
Joseph Graf
Holly Christiansen
Dylan Dahle
Mark Brouillard
Julia Sommer
Nick David
Dave Richards
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 4
Section 1.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 4
Section 1.2 Vision Zero Resolution ............................................................................................ 5
Section 2: Guiding Principles ......................................................................................................... 5
Section 2.1: Equity ...................................................................................................................... 5
Section 2.2: Data Driven Decision Making ................................................................................ 6
Section 2.3: Coordination and Accountability ............................................................................ 6
3.0 Transportation in Ashland......................................................................................................... 6
3.1 High Crash Network.............................................................................................................. 6
3.2 Communities of Concern ...................................................................................................... 6
Section 1: Introduction
Section 1.1 Purpose
“Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing
safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all”.
Vision Zero starts with the ethical belief that everyone has the right to move safely in their
communities, and that system designers and policy makers share the responsibility to ensure safe systems for travel.
Vision Zero is a significant departure from the status quo in two major ways:
1. Vision Zero recognizes that people will sometimes make mistakes, so the road system and related policies should be designed to ensure those inevitable mistakes do not result
in severe injuries or fatalities. This means that system designers and policymakers are expected to improve the roadway environment, policies (such as speed management), and other related systems to lessen the severity of crashes. 2. Vision Zero is a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together diverse and necessary stakeholders to address this complex problem. In the past, meaningful, cross-disciplinary
collaboration among local traffic planners and engineers, policymakers, and public health professionals has not been the norm. Vision Zero acknowledges that many factors contribute to safe mobility -- including roadway design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies -- and sets clear goals to achieve the shared goal of zero fatalities and severe injuries.
The Vision Zero Program and Action Plan outline the City of Ashland’s commitment and long-
term strategy for eliminating deaths and serious injuries from the transportation system with a
focus on equity.
Section 1.2 Vision Zero Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 2024 - 06
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND,
OREGON SETTING AS OFFICIAL POLICY THE VISION ZERO GOAL THAT NO
LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS
ACCEPTABLE.
RECITALS:
A. The life and health of the City of Ashland’s residents are our utmost priority.
B. No one should die or be seriously injured on our transportation system.
C. Communities of Concern face a disproportionate risk of traffic injuries and fatalities.
D. Vision Zero is an approach to transportation safety that accepts no loss of life or serious
injuries on the transportation system.
THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Ashland City Council sets as official policy Vision Zero’s goal of zero
fatalities or serious injuries on our transportation system.
SECTION 2. The Ashland City Council supports efforts by the City of Ashland and our regional
partners to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our transportation system, with an emphasis
on the most vulnerable users.
SECTION 3. The Ashland City Council supports efforts by the City of Ashland’s
Transportation, to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan that develops and prioritizes safety
improvements for people walking, bicycling, using mobility devices and driving motorized
vehicles.
SECTION 4. This Resolution takes effect upon signing by the Mayor. This resolution was duly
PASSED and ADOPTED this 5th day of March 2024.
Section 2: Guiding Principles
Section 2.1: Equity
The City’s Vision Zero Action Plan shall be equitable and acknowledge the disproportionate
burden of traffic crashes on people of color, low-income households, people with limited English
proficiency, persons with disabilities or other mobility impairments, and other vulnerable groups.
It will prioritize safety improvements for these populations.
The action plan will focus on filling gaps in transportation infrastructure where injuries and
fatalities occur and where missing links limit transportation options, particularly for the
underserved communities.
It will employ enforcement strategies that focus primarily on the most dangerous behaviors like
speeding, impairment, and distraction. It will not result in racial profiling.
Section 2.2: Data Driven Decision Making
Crash, speed and volume data will be regularly gathered and uipdated to identify the locations,
behaviors, and other conditions related to deaths and serious injuries on our streets.
Demographic data will be used to prioritize underserved communities.
The impacts and effectiveness of actions taken will be evaluated and publicly reported.
Section 2.3: Coordination and Accountability
Actions will have clearly defined roles, responsibilities and expectations among the departments
working on implementation.
The City will work local and regional partners to maximize the impact of the Vision Zero Action
Plan.
3.0 Transportation in Ashland
3.1 High Crash Network
3.2 Communities of Concern
1
MOVING FROM
VISION TO ACTION:
Fundamental Principles,
Policies & Practices to
Advance Vision Zero
in the U.S.
February 2017
2
In sharing this document,
we honor the tens of thousands of lives
lost and millions more impacted by
traffic crashes each year in this nation.
We aim to ensure that Vision
Zero efforts entail not only bold
proclamations and marketing
campaigns but, more importantly,
lasting changes that save lives and
ensure safe mobility for all.
3
CONTENTS
Introduction
Executive Summary..................................................................4
Purpose of this Document.......................................................6
Vision Zero Expectations
Fundamental Principles............................................................8
Fundamental Policies & Practices............................................15
Conclusion & Acknowledgments..............................................26
4
Vision Zero was a phrase that most people working on
traffic safety or related public policy issues had never
even heard of. That’s not the case anymore
Mayors, police chiefs, transportation professionals and
community leaders in more than 20 U.S. cities have
set Vision Zero goals of eliminating traffic fatalities and
severe injuries within their communities.
Under the mantle of Vision Zero, they are bringing together a wide range of local leaders — including policymakers, community members and professionals in the realms of transportation, public health and law enforcement — to set and shape a shared goal to keep all people safe as they move about their communities.
Today, these leaders acknowledge that the high number of tragedies on our roadways is largely predictable and preventable. And they are stepping up to declare that “enough is enough” and to devise plans and
policies for a safe future on our roadways, sidewalks and bikeways. Just
as we expect the right to safe water to drink and clean
air to breathe in today’s civilized society, so too should
we expect the right to move about safely.
At the state and federal levels, too, we are seeing an acknowledgement that the time has come to change our thinking and approach to traffic safety. In late 2016, we saw the U.S. federal government’s bold pledge to change business as usual in its launch of the Road to Zero campaign, setting the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities nationwide within the next 30 years. And more than 40 U.S. states incorporate a Toward Zero Deaths approach into their safety work and are increasingly interested in supporting local Vision Zero efforts.
Even the media is recognizing the changing cultural norms. The Associated Press recently updated its recommended language from traffic “accidents” to “crashes,” acknowledging that these are not random calamities, but rather something we have collective and individual control over.
BUILDING SUCCESSFUL
VISION ZERO INITIATIVES
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
5
It is at the local level that we are seeing the boldest
and most innovative approach to shifting the traffic
safety paradigm in the U.S. And this leadership could not come soon enough, as 35,092 people were killed in 2015 on the roadways, ending a 5-decade trend of declining fatalities with a 7.2% increase in traffic deaths from 2014.
With an average of 90 people dying each day in traffic in the U.S. – more than via gun violence -- we are in the midst of a public health crisis that demands greater attention from policymakers, professionals, and the public at all levels.
TRANSLATING VISION TO ACTION
The dramatic growth in Vision Zero commitments in communities across the nation, as well as stepped up interest at the state and federal levels, is encouraging. But now we need to ensure that the fast-growing, shared vision translates to action and results.
A true Vision Zero commitment is not a sign-on
letter nor a slogan.
It is a fundamental shift in philosophy and approach to traffic safety. It is acknowledging that business as usual is not enough and that systemic changes are needed in our traffic safety work to make meaningful progress. This will not be easy, but it will be worthwhile.
At best, Vision Zero has the potential to galvanize a thorough and lasting shift in how we design and use our transportation systems to prioritize the preservation and quality of human life. At worst, Vision Zero runs the risk of becoming a short-lived trend or watered-down slogan that provides only lip service toward real, life-saving change. There is peril in well-meaning leaders adopting symbolic resolutions that fail to acknowledge and incorporate the significant systemic changes necessary to shift the paradigm of traffic safety.
We recognize that it is appealing to support Vision
Zero in principle; it is far more difficult to take the
bold steps necessary to implement it meaningfully
and effectively.
This document was developed to assist policymakers, community members, and professionals, particularly in the realms of transportation, law enforcement, and public health to develop, implement, measure, and communicate clear, meaningful expectations for Vision Zero.
While we can study and draw inspiration from successes in countries such as Sweden in dramatically reducing traffic fatalities, the U.S. cannot simply copy and paste a Vision Zero template from abroad. Instead, we can and are defining a uniquely American version of Vision Zero that fits our cultural, legal, political, and historical contexts. While we adapt this powerful idea to U.S. communities, it is critical that our efforts embrace the fundamental principles of Vision Zero and take the challenge seriously of ensuring safe mobility for all.
WHAT IS
VISION ZERO?
Started in Sweden in the late 1990s, Vision
Zero is a traffic safety policy that takes an
ethical approach toward achieving safety for
all road users, setting the goal of zero traffic
fatalities or severe injuries.
Vision Zero differs from the traditional
roadway safety paradigm in several key
ways. First, it holds that traffic deaths and
severe injuries are preventable and focuses
attention on the shortcomings of the
transportation system itself, including the
built environment, policies, and technologies
that influence behavior.
Second, Vision Zero acknowledges that
people will make mistakes, so collisions will
happen. Given this reality, the focus is not on
avoiding all crashes, but rather on lowering
the likelihood of crashes resulting in severe
injuries.
And unlike the traditional approach to
traffic safety, where the greatest level of
responsibility has been placed on individual
road users, Vision Zero sets the highest level
of responsibility on the system designers
– transportation planners and engineers,
policymakers, police, etc. Then, the concept
holds that individuals have the responsibility
to abide by the systems, laws, and policies
set by the system designers. If safety
problems persist, then the responsibility
comes back to the system designers to take
further measures to ensure safety. This is a
paradigm shift in approaching roadway safety
as a systemic issue.
Through its commitment to Vision Zero,
Sweden has halved its traffic deaths
nationally and is, today, one of the safest
places in the country to move about.
6
PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
OUR DESIRED OUTCOME IS A
SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF
AND A PROMISE TO UPHOLD WHAT
CONSTITUTES A STRONG VISION
ZERO COMMITMENT IN THE U.S.
The goal of Vision Zero is nothing short of lasting, institutionalized, systems-level change. And it is possible, as communities across the nation and world are showing.
This document is intended to support
the efforts of those working to
advance Vision Zero, including:
Policymakers / Elected Officials
Transportation Professionals
Law Enforcement Professionals
Public Health Professionals
Advocates & Community Organizers
Vision Zero will not develop or look the same in every community. Given the diversity of the U.S., there will be variations on approach and on the order of strategies. Each community will need to consider and take advantage of its own opportunities and overcome its own challenges in advancing this life-saving work.
That said, there are core principles that are essential to a traffic safety approach being a Vision Zero commitment. This report aims to define these core principles and the corresponding, high-level policies and practices to implement and sustain a successful Vision Zero program.
A few caveats about this report and
the work of Vision Zero in the U.S.:
• This is not a checklist or a
how-to guide. Rather, this is an overarching set of expectations for a robust Vision Zero commitment that will help communities convert enthusiasm into lasting systems-level changes in their local traffic safety efforts.
• This document does not attempt
to cover the technical aspects of
promising Vision Zero strategies. We are pleased that other partners focus on more technical components of this work and help practitioners better understand the value of various strategies, particularly from a roadway design perspective.
• Progress will take time. Some of these efforts may not yield visible results immediately; in fact, in some cases, they may take years to produce quantifiable improvements. This does not nullify their importance but rather speaks to the need for Vision Zero leaders to recognize, commit to, and communicate these deeper-level systems changes throughout their Vision Zero work. Stakeholders need to bring both a strong sense of urgency to their efforts, as well as a focus on sharing and measuring both face-forward and behind-the-scenes efforts as they develop longer-term investments in safety.
• Finally, this is not intended to be
a static resource. As our understanding evolves of how best to advance Vision Zero, the practices and policies considered most promising will also evolve. We look forward to feedback and participation in this ongoing process of learning more and developing even better guidance for the growing number of U.S. communities embracing Vision Zero.
7
VISION ZERO CITIES
A Vision Zero City meets the following minimum standards:
-
- Visi
- Key are engaged.
Vision Zero City
Portland
San Francisco
San JoseFremont San Mateo
Long BeachSanta Ana
San Diego
Boston
New York City
Washington, D.C.
Montgomery County
Denver
Chicago Philadelphia
Considering Vision Zero
Sacramento
Updated
January 2017
Fort Lauderdale
San Antonio Houston
Tampa
Los AngelesSanta Monica
New Orleans
Columbia
Anchorage
St Paul
Eugene
Bellevue
Santa CruzSan Luis Obispo
Ann Arbor
Bethlehem
Cambridge
Boulder
SantaBarbara
Greenville
Alexandria
Macon
A VISION ZERO CITY MEETS THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM STANDARDS:
1. Sets clear goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries
2. Mayor (or top official) has publicly, officially committed to Vision Zero
3. Vision Zero plan or strategy is in place, or Mayor has committed to doing so in clear time frame
4. Key city departments (including Police, Transportation and Public Health) are engaged.
Vision Zero has spread and evolved rapidly in the
U.S. since New York became the first city in the
nation to commit to a Vision Zero goal in 2014,
pledging to eliminate deaths and severe injuries
among all road users by 2024.
As of this writing, more than 20 other U.S. cities
have made legislative Vision Zero commitments
and are at various stages of designing programs
and policies to reach these goals, while dozens
more communities are considering making such
commitments.
Vision Zero City
Considering Vision Zero
8
VISION ZERO EXPECTATIONS:
Fundamental Principles
9
Traffic deaths and severe injuries are
acknowledged to be preventable.
Human life and health are prioritized within all
aspects of transportation systems.
Acknowledgement that human error is
inevitable, and transportation systems should
be forgiving.
Safety work should focus on systems-level
changes above influencing individual behavior.
Speed is recognized and prioritized as the
fundamental factor in crash severity.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF
A MEANINGFUL VISION ZERO
COMMITMENT
These principles can and should be applied anywhere, regardless of
a community’s size or political structure. While certain strategies
and timing will differ from place to place, these principles are core to
successful Vision Zero efforts.
10
Setting the goal of zero traffic deaths and serious, life-altering injuries recognizes that we have agency to influence safe conditions, systems, and behavior. As exhibited in the growing movement to replace the term traffic “accident” with “crash,” Vision Zero acknowledges that these tragedies are preventable, and the choices we make -- particularly at the policy level and related to the built environment -- have far greater impacts than we have traditionally accepted. What we have long called “accidents” are most related to policies, systems and environments that can be improved upon with collective action and political will.
Setting the shared goal of zero is bold, aspirational and reinforces that we need major shifts in thinking, planning, prioritizing and taking action. It shakes up the status quo. It also compels greater cooperation and shared responsibility among diverse stakeholders (including transportation planners, engineers, policymakers, law enforcement, emergency response teams, public health professionals, and community leaders.)
TRAFFIC DEATHS
AND SEVERE
INJURIES ARE
ACKNOWLEDGED TO
BE PREVENTABLE
1.
11
HUMAN LIFE AND
HEALTH ARE
PRIORITIZED
WITHIN ALL ASPECTS OF
TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEMS
2.
Vision Zero holds that traffic deaths and severe injuries are ethically unacceptable. All people deserve to be safe as they move about their communities, whether walking, bicycling, driving or taking transit, and regardless of age, race, ability, or background.
Just as a civilized society prioritizes clean air and safe drinking water for community members, Vision Zero holds that people fundamentally deserve safe transportation, and that it is government’s responsibility to ensure conditions for such safety. Benefits (or perceived benefits) of speed and mobility are secondary to the primary
goal of safety and health.
12
Vision Zero accepts that humans are fallible and will, at times, make poor choices that result in crashes. No amount of education, enforcement, or technological advancement will entirely eliminate that.
Therefore, Vision Zero builds upon the known threshold at which the human body can withstand a certain level of external violence without being severely injured or killed. Rather than trying to reverse the inevitability of human failure through education, Vision Zero holds that we should design the transportation system based on it. The responsibility for traffic safety is shared by system designers and road users. This responsibility begins with the system designers − see box.
The focus of Vision Zero is eliminating crashes that result in fatalities or severe injuries, not necessarily eliminating every crash occurrence. This focus will help prioritize strategies and resources.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT
HUMAN ERROR IS
INEVITABLE, AND
TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEMS SHOULD
BE FORGIVING
3.
FIRST, THE DESIGNERS OF THE SYSTEM
ARE RESPONSIBLE for the design,
operation and use of the transportation
system.
SECOND, ROAD USERS ARE
RESPONSIBLE for following the rules of the
transportation system.
FINALLY, when some road users
inevitably fail to follow the rules due to
lack of knowledge, discipline, ability, or
understanding of the system, DESIGNERS
MUST TAKE NECESSARY STEPS to ensure
that the resulting crashes do not result in
people being killed or seriously injured.
VISION ZERO LAYS OUT THE
FOLLOWING TIERED LEVELS
OF RESPONSIBILITY:
13
SAFETY WORK SHOULD FOCUS ON
SYSTEMS-LEVEL CHANGES ABOVE
INFLUENCING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR
4.
Vision Zero calls for a shift in attention from the traditional, primarily educational approach aimed at influencing individual behavior to an “upstream” approach that shapes policies, systems and the built environment -- key factors that most affect people’s behavioral choices. This does not mean that individuals are not responsible for their own behavior, nor that efforts to influence individuals directly are not worthwhile. Instead, it shifts the focus to higher-level systems and policies and those who control them because this has greater impact than trying to influence billions of individual choices.
Policies and designs should encourage the desired behaviors by making them intuitive, rational, and easy to follow.
This more holistic, integrated approach, adapted from public health frameworks, differentiates Vision Zero from the traditional transportation safety approach.
THE SPECTRUM OF PREVENTION
Influencing policy & legislation
Educating providers
Changing organizational practices
Promoting community education
Fostering coalitions & networks
Strengthening individual knowledge & skills
Content: The Prevention Institute
The Spectrum of Prevention is a framework that promotes a multifaceted range of activities for effective prevention. It was originally developed by Larry Cohen, a leading advocate of public health, social justice and prevention and founder of the Prevention Institute. This framework has been used nationally in prevention initiatives. The Spectrum identifies multiple levels of intervention and helps people move beyond the perception that prevention is merely education.
14
Vision Zero starts with the basic premise that the level of severity of a traffic injury is directly related to the force of the crash and the resulting impact on the human body.
Insisting on travel speeds that are
appropriate to the context and designed
to be safe, first and foremost, is not
only an effective strategy, but a critical
foundation of Vision Zero.
A Vision Zero approach holds that speeds must be limited by a combination of policy, technology, culture and design to a level commensurate with the inherent safety of the road system.
THIS RESTS PRIMARILY ON
THREE THINGS:
1. How a roadway is designed to
encourage (or discourage) certain
levels of speed
2. What speed limit is legally set
3. How that speed limit is
communicated and enforced
SPEED IS
RECOGNIZED AND
PRIORITIZED AS THE
FUNDAMENTAL
FACTOR IN CRASH
SEVERITY
5.
THE TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM SHOULD
BE DESIGNED FOR
SPEEDS THAT PROTECT
HUMAN LIFE.
15
VISION ZERO EXPECTATIONS:
Fundamental Policies & Practices
16
Build and sustain leadership, collaboration
and accountability.
Collect, analyze and use data.
Prioritize equity and engagement.
Lead with roadway design that prioritizes safety.
Manage speed to safe levels.
Maximize technology advances, but don’t overlook
low-tech solutions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
VISION ZERO EFFORTS SHOULD
PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING POLICIES
AND PRACTICES:
17
BUILD AND SUSTAIN
LEADERSHIP,
COLLABORATION
AND ACCOUNTABILITY
1.
An urgent, clear, and sustained public commitment of support for Vision Zero should come from the highest-ranking public officials in a community, usually the Mayor and City Council. Sending a clear signal of priority from City Hall is a critical first step toward aligning the multiple internal city agencies that are in integrally involved in leading Vision Zero efforts.
Creating a permanent, high-level home for the city’s Vision Zero effort within the city bureaucracy is another key move. Institutionalizing the work and building an expectation for accountability from all of the agencies involved is necessary for success.
Cross-sector, large-scale collaboration and the inclusion of public health, law enforcement, policy makers, elected officials, and community members in traffic safety work is one of the things that makes Vision Zero powerful. Even though sometimes administratively challenging, this cross-sectoral collaboration -- including using consistent data, setting shared goals, and defining clear responsibilities for all partners -- is key in advancing Vision Zero.
There should be clear interim goals that are measureable on the road to zero, which all stakeholders commit to together; this forces people to move out of silos and create shared responsibility and investment in outcomes.
One way to encourage this is through regular
internal stakeholders meetings that are driven
by data and clear goals. Committing to regular,
public reports to governing bodies on progress
and learnings is also critical to establish trust
and accountability: This includes not only the full
City Council and the expected transportation
leaders within city government, but also the Police
Commission, Public Health Commission and
other relevant bodies with their own leadership
structures. Requiring public reporting − at least
quarterly − will help keep Vision Zero prominent
on decision makers’ agendas, as well as increase
transparency with the public.
In addition, an executive or legislative body can
help foster a culture of innovation around Vision
Zero by empowering staff to bring new ideas
forward and supporting their implementation,
even knowing some may ultimately fail. Pilot and
demonstration projects are powerful ways to
transform streets rapidly and inexpensively, and
are great opportunities to collect data, engage
the community, and re-frame the traffic safety
conversation. Being open to collaboration and
learning from the experience of other cities, both
at home and abroad, is another trait of strong
Vision Zero leadership. The problems of traffic
safety are not unique to each city — neither are
the solutions.
18
Strong, shared leadership encompasses not only public-facing displays of support from City Hall, but also empowering internal champions and fostering a shared ownership of Vision Zero goals across agencies.
Some examples include the following:San Francisco’s Police Department (SFPD) updates its Commission on Vision Zero progress on a quarterly basis. These updates are part of public hearings, so this also serves as a chance to inform the public. The Police Chief reports to the Commission on the specific Vision Zero goal of focusing traffic enforcement efforts on the most dangerous behaviors on the roadways, such as speeding and violating pedestrians’ right of way.
The SFPD has set a measureable goal of “Focus on the Five,” with at least 50% of its traffic enforcement efforts focused on the top five most dangerous traffic behaviors, rather than lower-level infractions (such as expired tags or broken tail lights) that are not benefitting safety efforts as well. This helps engage law enforcement officers and their high-level leadership directly in Vision Zero efforts and hold them accountable in a transparent way for the public and other interested stakeholders.
Many Vision Zero cities, such as Austin, TX and Washington, D.C., have created Action Plans laying out specific strategies and identifying which agency is responsible for “owning” that strategy. This is a smart way to engage stakeholders clearly and to elevate accountability and transparency. In cases where multiple agencies are involved, which
Developing Collaborative
Leadership & Accountability
RELEVANT EXAMPLES
is common and encouraged, there should still be a single agency identified as primarily responsible for the action. Over time, these cities should track progress and publicly share updates with partners and the public.
Los Angeles leveraged its collaborative approach into a budget win for safety. Multiple departments, including Transportation, Public Works & Police, submitted a coordinated Vision Zero budget request in 2015. This joint proposal highlighted the shared commitment to Vision Zero and was favorably reviewed by the city’s budget committee, resulting in more funding being available for L.A.’s early Vision Zero efforts.
An interagency and interdepartmental task force oversees implemention of the Austin Vision Zero Action Plan. Photo credit: City of Austin
D.C. agency leaders collaborated on the Vision Zero Action Plan.Photo credit: Jonathan Rogers, District Dept of Transportation
19
COLLECT,
ANALYZE AND USE DATA
2.
Being data-driven is an essential part of the safe systems approach of Vision Zero. This starts with collecting solid transportation safety data that reflects the basic factors in serious crashes: What happened? When? Where? Why? Involving whom?
Police are often relied on as a primary source of crash data, but they may face resource and training limitations that result in incorrect or under-reporting. No single agency should be counted on to provide traffic safety data – it requires a coordinated effort. One promising strategy currently being developed in San Francisco is combining data from hospitals and police.
Data should be used at all stages of Vision Zero strategizing to prioritize scarce funding and staffing resources and programmatic efforts. Understanding which locations and which behaviors lead to the most serious injury crashes is critical. Of course, this information should be balanced with local knowledge about certain areas or behaviors for which collisions go under-reported,and analysis should be adjusted for this.
Another promising, emerging strategy in this field is to use data to conduct predictive modeling, moving beyond simply reacting to past problems. This method proactively prioritizes safety interventions by analyzing locations with repeated problems and observing the characteristics of those crashes and sites, then applying that to sites throughout the city, even where serious crashes may not have happened yet.
Collecting, analyzing and using the right data will require a high level of coordination between different city agencies and partners. Data should impact not only initial priorities and resource decisions, but also the ongoing evolution and reporting of a Vision Zero program. How do we know if we’re successful? What works best? How do various strategies rank? A Vision Zero effort will not be static, and its development will depend on using data to gauge impact over time.
Using Data to Maximize
Decision-Making
When the city of Los Angeles adopted
a Vision Zero resolution and dug into
its data on traffic fatalities, it found that
65% of fatal crashes involving people
walking occur on just 6% of city streets.
This knowledge greatly informed a
strategy for where to invest limited
resources.
Similarly, the city of San Francisco’s
analysis highlighted that people walking
and bicycling are over-represented
in traffic fatalities and severe injuries
(as is true in many cities), leading to
efforts to focus more attention on
improving safety for those road users,
in particular. This included a successful
local bond measure raising $500 million
in new funds for more roadway design
improvements aimed at safety for those
walking and bicycling.
And, greater understanding of what’s
happening where with greater
granularity is also influencing the
types of safety improvements made.
A recent NYC Vision Zero analysis
highlighted the locations where left-
turning movements are most likely to
cause serious harm, giving the NYC
Dept. of Transportation the information
they needed to take a data-forward
approach to proactively address
potential future problematic areas.
Elevating the usage of solid data in
traffic safety decisionmaking recognizes
that resources are (and will always be)
finite, so prioritizing based on where
attention will have the greatest impact
goes a long way.
Making safety commitments based
on data-proven needs also helped
L.A. pass a sales tax measure in 2016
bringing in an estimated $860 million/
year for transportation improvements
countywide.
RELEVANT EXAMPLES
20
PRIORITIZE
EQUITY AND
ENGAGEMENT
3.
The Vision Zero approach to traffic safety presents both opportunities and challenges to the goal of advancing equity in our transportation systems.
Data analysis and public input should help clarify which community members and locations are being most severely impacted by unsafe traffic conditions. In many cities in the U.S., we see that some communities are systemically underserved by our current transportation systems and policies. This is particularly true for low-income people, people of color, children, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and people walking and bicycling − all of whom are impacted by traffic crashes at disproportionately high rates. At its best, Vision Zero’s data-driven, systems-based approach can bring increased and overdue resources, action and political will to communities that have been neglected.
At the same time, Vision Zero can pose additional problems to a more equitable public realm. The same emphasis on a data-driven approach may seem to justify focusing traffic enforcement in certain neighborhoods that experience high levels of traffic crashes. These are often the same neighborhoods and involve the same communities experiencing the greatest tensions with police.
So, while our goal in Vision Zero is to increase safety from a transportation perspective, we run the risk of promoting over-policing with harmful impacts and contributing to the disintegration of trust between police and the communities they serve.
Strategies to better integrate equity into traffic enforcement could include community policing; an end to the “broken windows” approach; additional officer training; use of automated enforcement over officer-initiated enforcement; greater transparency of law enforcement’s traffic stop data; diversion programs that focus more on education than punishment; and graduated/tiered fines for traffic violations, so that low-income people are not disproportionately burdened.
One way city leaders and advocates can sustain this long-overdue attention is to regularly include equity considerations on Vision Zero meeting agendas −not only in reaction to problems or criticism, but systematically and proactively, so that the topic is fully integrated into ongoing Vision Zero efforts advancing equity in transportation systems and all stakeholders are seeing equity as their responsibility.
City leaders must invite and encourage meaningful community dialogue about Vision Zero efforts, particularly from communities most affected, recognizing that these are also often the people without adequate time, resources, experience, or political access to advocate for these issues.
Considering and prioritizing equity early in the Vision Zero planning process and seeking the input of diverse voices, particularly those in the communities most severely impacted yet not traditionally influential in the traffic safety conversation, can help build a stronger, more inclusive effort.
21
–
Ensuring that Vision efforts result in equitable outcomes is one of the most important challenges communities face. While equity is a complex topic that is affected by nearly every aspect of governance, applying serious thought to equity in the early stages of Vision Zero planning and implementation is especially important. This means accounting for equity in the high-level goals, principles and priority-setting of Vision Zero plans.
Portland, Oregon offers an example of
addressing equity clearly and simply at
the top level in the Vision Statement and
Guiding Principles from its Action Plan:
• The plan will be equitable. It will address the
disproportionate burden of traffic fatalities and serious
injuries on communities of concern, including people of
color, low-income households, older adults and youth,
people with disabilities, people with limited English
proficiency, and households with limited vehicle access.
• It will prioritize filling gaps in infrastructure where
those gaps contribute to fatalities and serious injuries,
or limit the transportation options of communities of
concern.
• It will not result in racial profiling.
Equitable Vision Zero outcomes depend on more than serious acknowledgement in planning documents, of course. Follow-through is critical. Cities are finding that building trust through robust community engagement around Vision Zero is a vital strategy, particularly for communities who are not normally involved in traditional process. The cities of Los Angeles and Washington DC have set strong examples for new models of outreach and community partnerships that focus on underrepresented communities affected by Vision Zero plans.
Portland, OR:
Ensuring equitable
enforcement of
Vision Zero
Read more about equity and Vision Zero at visionzeronetwork.org/resources.
Source: Safe Routes to School National Partnership
RELEVANT EXAMPLES
22
LEAD WITH
ROADWAY
DESIGN THAT
PRIORITIZES
SAFETY
4.
Modern traffic safety efforts have taken an approach that incorporates the fundamental “E’s” of Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Evaluation. While still useful (particularly as the E’s of Equity and Engagement are added), this framework obscures several important realities.
First, it is important to note that not all E’s are created equal. The action of physically designing (or re-designing) roadways to encourage safe behavior is paramount. This requires planning for a safe network for all modes of transportation, where design choices match intended behavior and context, and the most physically vulnerable users — people walking and biking — have contiguous, safe, and convenient infrastructure
Designers of streets must be willing to utilize all design tools available, and create new ones when necessary, to prioritize protection of human life above all else. Elected officials and other leaders must courageously support designs that prioritize safety, even when resistance arises due to non- safety concerns. Where physical separation is not possible between automobiles and vulnerable road users, such as people walking and bicycling, the speed differential should be lowered to such a degree that serious injuries are not likely from crashes.
Also, we must give greater acknowledgement to the power and potential of both speed management and to smart technology choices to advance safety.
23
MANAGE SPEED
TO SAFE LEVELS
5.
Managing dangerous travel speeds is
not just an effective strategy but is a
critical tenet of Vision Zero. Given the vulnerability of the human body, it is the force of a crash -- related to speed and weight -- that most determines the severity. Someone walking who is hit by a car moving at 20 mph has a 90% chance of survival, while that person only has closer to a 10% chance of survival if hit by a car moving at 40 mph.
If a community is serious about Vision Zero, active management of speeds should be a top engineering, policy, and legislative priority. There are three major ways to do this:
First, designing self-enforcing
roadways that physically encourage
safe speeds through traffic calming and geometric design (examples include narrower travel lanes, roundabouts, and speed humps). The physical design of a roadway is the first and most impactful way to encourage speeds at safe levels.
Second, setting and communicating
safe speed limits. In a complicated, multi-modal environment, this means setting default speed limits at levels where severe injuries are unlikely when a car collides with a pedestrian - ideally 20 mph or less. This may require a change to some of the most established traffic engineering practices, such as setting speed limits at the 85th percentile of car movements, as well as legislative action. The time is long overdue to change outdated, detrimental policies such as this.
And third, enforce safe speed limits. Automated speed enforcement is a well-tested and proven strategy to encourage safe speeds. Cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, NYC and many others across the world have effectively discouraged speeding via the use of safety cameras. A particularly timely benefit is that this technology can lessen the degree of police officer discretion required in making traffic stops, important at a time when concerns about equitable law enforcement is at a particularly high and troubling level. (continued on next page)
24
Legislating
Safe Speeds
Think a change in a relatively small number of miles per hour does not make a big difference in safety? Think again.
At 35 mph, a driver needs 100 more feet to react and stop in response to an unexpected event compared to 25 mph. And faster vehicles are deadlier – someone walking who is struck by a vehicle travelling at 30 mph is twice as likely to be killed as someone struck by a vehicle moving at 25 mph.
While there’s no silver bullet to traffic safety, one message is undeniable: Speed kills. And more leaders are taking the initiative to manage speed, including lowering speed limits and using technology to encourage safe speeds.
Seattle, Washington and the State of Massachusetts passed laws in 2016 allowing lower speed limits as part of their Vision Zero efforts. And the City Council in Austin, Texas voted in late 2016 to lower its default speed limits from 30 mph to 25 mph on residential streets. But, Austin and most other cities considering such changes need approval from the state legislature to make this desire for safety a reality.
Engaging support for Vision Zero at the state level will be a major push for many of our communities in the coming years, but one well worth the effort. A 2016 study by the independent, nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that the effect of speed limit increases over the past two decades (1993 to
2013) have cost 33,000 lives in the U.S. As IIHS stated: “If Vision Zero is the destination, higher speeds are slowing us down.”
We know that lowering speed limits and changing signage alone will not solve the problem, but these important steps are part of the solution, along with prioritizing context-sensitive roadway designs that encourage lower travel speeds, as well as using automated speed enforcement technologies.
Strategic deployment of automated speed enforcement (ASE) on high-injury locations has proven to be effective in influencing driver behavior in many cities, including the following:
In Chicago, within the first year of ASE, the number of speeding events recorded by each camera reduced by an average of 43%;
Washington D.C. had a reduction in drivers speeding more than 10 mph over the speed limit from 1 in 3 to 1 in 40 — and reported a 70% reduction in fatalities;
Since Seattle’s fixed camera program inception in December 2012 to December 2014, the average number of traffic violations decreased by 64%;
New York City’s speed camera program has had a positive influence on behavior. In 2013, NYC won the authority from the State Legislature to use speed cameras to deter speeding during school hours in a small share of the city’s school zones. The program has proven effective at deterring speeding — the number of violations issued at a typical speed camera location declined by over 50%. However, 85% of the fatal and severe injury crashes which occur in NYC do not occur in school zones, during school hours. The City is now pursuing efforts to expand their present authority and use the program during the most dangerous places and hours of the day.
There are important considerations in utilizing automated speed enforcement technology, mostly around privacy and equity (for instance, fines present a disproportionate impact on low-income populations). These are valid concerns and can and should be addressed in any safety camera program, but the value of automated enforcement in protecting lives is high enough that it should be integrated into Vision Zero strategies.
Simply put, communities will not
significantly advance their Vision
Zero goals if they do not directly and
assertively manage speeds on their
roadways. Vision Zero work that ignores
speed management is merely playing in
the margins of effectiveness.
It is understandable that major changes in speed management programs (such as lowering default speed limits and passing legislation to allow safety cameras) may not be the first public action a Vision Zero community undertakes upon its commitment. Building buy-in and iterative steps may come first. However, speed management must be part of the process. This may entail building a strong coalition and strategy to win state approval to utilize automated speed enforcement technology, or it may mean starting with lowering speed limits to 20 mph in school zones, near senior centers, etc. while building the case for a broader lowering of speed limits citywide.
Above all, it is essential that roadway designers be given a clear mandate and support from high-level leadership to prioritize safe speeds in their work.
RELEVANT EXAMPLES
25
MAXIMIZE
TECHNOLOGY
ADVANCES BUT
DON’T OVERLOOK
LOW-TECH
SOLUTIONS
6.
Undoubtedly, various technology advances have
greatly benefitted safety on our streets, and the pace of
technology promises even more improvements.
Innovations in automated and augmented vehicles
are rolling onto the market and are expected to have
major impacts over the next generation. These will
have an enormous impact on how communities plan for
infrastructure and safety. Autonomous and connected
vehicles offer promising tools to reduce the role of
human error in crashes. However, even under the best of
circumstances, it’s going to be several decades before the
vehicles are ubiquitous, and many questions remain about
how they will interact with people walking and bicycling.
While much of the oversight and policy-setting will likely
come from the state and federal levels, local policymakers
should also voice their commitment to safety first in all
such technical innovations. Non-motorists have benefited
least from the past few decades of safety technology
advances, and must be better prioritized if we are serious
about Vision Zero.
And, in the rush to embrace new technology, we should
not overlook lower-technology solutions. For instance,
large vehicles — utility trucks, buses, and freight/logistics
vehicles — are disproportionately responsible for traffic
fatalities, particularly involving vulnerable users in multi-
modal, urban areas. Treatments like side guards, cameras
and mirrors on large vehicles and trucks, especially in urban
areas, can reduce the consequences of crashes and are
standard equipment in many parts of the world.
Inexpensive
fleet technology
improvements save lives
Discussions of technology and Vision Zero can quickly jump to autonomous vehicles, intelligent signaling systems, and other promising but high-cost and slower-to-implement improvements.
Encouragingly, cities are finding relatively easy safety wins with low-cost, easy-to-implement technologies too. This includes retrofitting existing vehicle fleets. In urban areas, large vehicles represent a small portion of total traffic but are disproportionately involved in fatal crashes, particularly when people on foot and on bikes are involved.
To help counteract some of the inherent dangers of large vehicles, cities including Boston, New York City and Seattle have established procurement procedures and policies that encourage systematically bringing municipal and contract fleets up to a higher standard of safety with driver trainings, side guards, and blind spot mirrors and cameras. These are relatively inexpensive, non-controversial and near-term improvements that are proven to save lives.
Read more about technology and Vision Zero at
visionzeronetwork.org/resources
RELEVANT EXAMPLES
26
Vision Zero work will be neither simple
nor quick.
It will require new levels of political
will, community engagement, cross-
sectoral collaboration, data analysis and
(sometimes painfully honest) assessments
of what works and what does not, as well
as an openness to change.
But ask whether this work will be
worthwhile to any of the loved ones of the
estimated 35,000 people lost to traffic
violence last year in the U.S. The answer is
undeniable. We can and must do better to
protect those on our roadways, sidewalks
and bikeways.
This will take far more than a commitment,
verbally or symbolically, to Vision Zero.
We must acknowledge the risk of this
powerful, life-saving concept being
minimized to a catchy slogan or political
promise without a clear pledge to
appropriate action.
We hope this document serves as a
resource to understand, share, and move
forth the principles, policies and practices
of a meaningful Vision Zero goal.
CONCLUSION
& ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING
INDIVIDUALS WHO REVIEWED
THIS RESOURCE AND SHARED
VALUABLE INPUT:
Robert Dallas, PEDS of GeorgiaNicole Ferrara, Walk San FranciscoArielle Fleisher, SPURRosanne Ferruggia, Chicago Department of TransportationNat Gale, L.A. Department of TransportationNiko Letunic, Eisen l LetunicJuan Martinez, NYC Department of TransportationJon Orcutt, Transit Center Jonathan Rodgers, DC Department of TransportationCaroline Samponaro, NYC Transportation AlternativesMegan Wier, SF Public Health DepartmentDana Weissman, Fehr & Peers
And we thank all of the pioneers in all of the Vision Zero communities around the world who are leading the way and sharing their work to ensure safe mobility for all.
ABOUT THE VISION ZERO NETWORK
The Vision Zero Network is a nonprofit project committed to advancing Vision Zero in the U.S. We are proud to support the life-saving efforts of the dedicated policymakers, implementers, and community leaders on the ground who are working toward safe mobility for all.
In addition to providing resources such as this, we also research and share case studies elevating promising strategies toward Vision Zero; facilitate peer exchange of ideas and efforts between communities; and work to a deeper understanding of and full commitment to Vision Zero across the nation.
This report’s primary authors are Leah Shahum and Zach Vanderkooy, of the Vision Zero Network. Its designer is Rachel Krause of Banjo Creative.
Find out more about our work, as well as access to Vision Zero resources, at visionzeronetwork.org.
27
A PUBLICATION OF THE
WWW.VISIONZERONETWORK.ORG
1Action PlAn GuiDElinES
Vision, Strategies, Action:
Guidelines for an Effective
Vision Zero Action Plan
December 2017
2Action PlAn GuiDElinES
WE thAnk LivableStreets Alliance
and the Massachusetts Vision Zero
Coalition for their partnership in
writing this report.
Primary authors include Kathleen
Ferrier and Leah Shahum of Vision
Zero Network and Louisa Gag and
Stacy Thompson of LivableStreets
Alliance.
Graphic design by Rachel Krause of
Banjo Creative.
AcknoWlEDGEmEntS
3Action PlAn GuiDElinES
Across the country, U.S. towns and cities are committing to Vision Zero, which, in addition to setting the goal of zero traffic deaths or severe injuries, also commits communities to a fundamental shift in how they approach traffic safety.
once a community has committed to Vision Zero, it should create an Action Plan to clearly lay out action steps, timelines, and priorities and include broader community and stakeholder input.
At its best, Vision Zero has the potential to galvanize a thorough and lasting shift in how we design and use our transportation systems to prioritize the preservation and quality of human life. At its worst, Vision Zero runs the risk of becoming a watered-down slogan that provides only a vague attempt toward real, life-saving change.
The guidelines presented here are meant for communities that have already committed to Vision Zero, to outline key principles of the initiative, and just as importantly, to help committed communities effectively move from planning to on-the-ground implementation and institutionalization of safety priorities.
WhAt DiStinGuiShES ViSion ZEro
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic
fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe,
healthy, equitable mobility for all. In creating a Vision
Zero Action Plan, stakeholders should understand,
acknowledge, and discuss how Vision Zero differs from
the traditional approach to traffic safety:
Any Vision Zero Action Plan must be rooted
in the understanding that traffic deaths are
preventable through:
» The prioritization of proven safety strategies
» Multi-departmental collaboration toward the shared goal of zero
» A focus on data-driven decision-making
» A systems-based approach
Vision Zero is not just “business as usual”
with a new name; its core principles must be
acknowledged and built into everyday efforts.
(Read our publication Moving from Vision to Action
to learn more on Fundamental Principles, Policies
and Practices of Vision Zero.)
trADitionAl APProAch
Traffic deaths are iNeViTABLe
PeRFeCT human behavior
Prevent CoLLiSioNS
iNdiViduAL responsibility
Saving lives is exPeNSiVe
ViSion ZEro
Traffic deaths are PReVeNTABLe
Integrate huMAN FAiLiNG in approach
Prevent FATAL ANd SeVeRe CRASheS
SySTeMS approach
Saving lives is NoT exPeNSiVe
VS
introDuction
4Action PlAn GuiDElinES
hoW to uSE thiS GuiDE
A Vision Zero Action Plan should be a living document. This guide is designed to help cities who have committed to Vision Zero build an implementation plan that is concrete and action driven, while being responsive to the context and needs of the community you are serving. This guide lays out two key components of a strong Action Plan: Foundational Elements and Actionable Strategies. These key components are underpinned by a process of continued community Engagement and attention to Equity. Below we have defined each of these components in more detail. All together this creates a guide that is a road mapfor action, as well as a tool for measuring and assessing progress towards the bottom line goal of eliminating severe injury crashes and fatalities.
FounDAtionAl ElEmEntSFoundational elements are just that - foundational to the success of Vision Zero implementation. These are baseline best practices for creating any strong plan of action.
ActionAblE StrAtEGiESWhile every city and town is unique, there are certain strategies that are fundamental to achieving Vision Zero. This is especially important to ensure local actions follow the Vision Zero strategy of prioritizing safe roadway design and managing speed, amongst other strategies.
robuSt community EnGAGEmEnt The process of building an Action Plan is just as important as the final product. Vision Zero is based on the concept of shared responsibility for safety, and outreach and engagement to communities — especially those who are most vulnerable on the roadways — is absolutely essential for success.
recommendations to underpin the
success of your Vision Zero Action Plan:
1. Create a multi-stakeholder Vision Zero Task Force that includes perspectives from representatives in public health, transportation, policy makers, police, community, and advocates, among others.
2. Conduct meaningful community outreach prior to releasing the Action Plan, in order to inform its priorities.
3. Gather input from residents, particularly those in Communities of Concern—specifically low-income communities, communities of color, seniors, children, people with disabilities, and people who rely on walking, biking, and transit as their primary means of transportation—about what they see and experience on the streets. Learn about their unique context and adapt the language and approach you are using.
Equity PriorityEquity is not only a desired outcome of Vision Zero, it is integral to every component of Vision Zero planning and implementation. Equitable strategies such as prioritizing safety improvements in areas that have historically been underserved, and building robust engagement strategies to reach those who are most vulnerable on the roadways and who have not typically been included in traditional city planning processes are fundamental to achieving Vision Zero.
recommendations to underpin the
success of your Vision Zero Action Plan:
1. Prioritize outreach and street design safety efforts in Communities of Concern, which have been traditionally underserved.
2. Utilize data to determine if people of color are disproportionately being targeted by law enforcement in your community. Make a public commitment that Vision Zero efforts will not result in racial profiling and commit to report publicly on this issue to build trust with the community.
3. Provide anti-racism and cultural competency training for all staff and departments involved in Vision Zero.
Throughout this document, we have provided examples of what equitable approaches might look like as you build out the Foundational Elements and Actionable Strategies for your Action Plan. These examples should not be considered all inclusive, as we acknowledge this is an area with great room for expansion and improvement.
5Action PlAn GuiDElinES
ActionAblE
StrAtEGiES
EVAluAtion
FounDAtionAl
ElEmEntS imPlEmEntAtion
A good action plan is a living document and includes a dynamic, iterative process to establish
and implement strategies, evaluate progress, and make corrective actions as needed,
all the while engaging community and prioritizing equity.
thE ViSion ZEro APProAch
com
m
un
i
ty
&
E
q
uit
ycommunity&E q u it y
6Action PlAn GuiDElinES
1. builD A
robuSt DAtA
FrAmEWork
Vision Zero is a data-driven approach, and gathering, analyzing, utilizing, and sharing both formal data on injury crashes and community input to understand traffic safety priorities is fundamental to Vision Zero success.
We recommend that injury crash data be collected before the Action Plan is created, focusing on fatal and serious injuries, specifically.
the data should answer questions like:
» Are injury crashes more likely to occur in certain locations? At certain times of day?
» Are some demographics and road users over-represented in injury crashes? If so, who? Where?
» What crash factors are prominent? (Examples include behaviors such as high speeds, left turns, or the lack of Complete Streets facilities for people walking/bicycling.)
It is also important to consider who is involved in collecting and putting forward the data. A burgeoning best practice includes supplementing traditional injury crash data collected by police, with hospital data. This has been shown to better represent certain populations, such as low-income and communities of color, and those walking and bicycling. Including public health department professionals, policy makers, and other stakeholders in the data collection and assessment process, along with those in the transportation and police departments, can help ensure a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the data.
Ultimately, analysis of Vision Zero data should lead to the development of a High Injury Network that geographically identifies locations where investments in safety are most urgent, which in turn will drive your implementation strategy. Given that
all communities have limited resources, this data-
driven approach will help allocate resources to those
locations that need them most.
Equity lEnS
While data is important, it also needs context and
usually does not tell the full story on its own. For
example, communities that have been systematically
marginalized may be less likely to report traffic
crashes. Additionally, some locations feel so
dangerous and unwelcoming that people avoid
walking or biking there, which means they are not
elevated as problem spots with high injuries, but still
may deserve attention. Depending on data alone
will leave gaps in your strategy and may compound
inequities in already underserved communities.
To gather an accurate picture, a successful and
equitable data-driven approach will require both
collecting data as well as a robust community
engagement process that prioritizes outreach in
Communities of Concern.
FounDAtionAl ElEmEntS
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
PortlAnD’S ViSion ZEro ProGrAm overlays the city’s High Injury Network with its Communities of Concern as shown in the image below. Cities including Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco use a similar methodology.
7Action PlAn GuiDElinES
2. SEt
mEASurAblE
GoAlS With
A clEAr
timElinE For
imPlEmEntAtion
Clear, measurable short-term and mid-term goals,
combined with timelines and ownership from
responsible government agencies, will create a
framework that is easier to evaluate and fund, and
will build buy-in, accountability, and transparency
throughout the implementation process.
We recommend identifying your “reach zero
year” as a baseline. Many cities are using a 10
year time frame as their baseline. Your Action Plan
should then include near term (2-3 year) goals along
with interim goals and measures of progress (5-8
year time horizon). This will ensure that your Action
Plan is more than just a 1-2 year list of priorities,
but truly a long-term strategy.
Each goal identified in your Action Plan
should be measurable and provide
answers to the following questions:
» What does success look like? What are the measures of success?
» Who is primarily responsible for achieving this goal and in what timeframe?
» What are the conditions and limitations for success? (For example, are more staff and/or funding needed in certain areas to succeed? If so, be clear about that need.)
Equity lEnS
There is overwhelming evidence that communities
of color are disproportionately impacted by traffic
crashes. When setting goals for Vision Zero, it is
important to both acknowledge these disparities,
as well as set specific goals designed to close this
gap, in addition to reducing the overall number of
serious crashes.
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
EAch oF thE StrAtEGiES liStED in PhilADElPhiA’S ViSion ZEro Action PlAn includes the Lead Agency and a timeline for implementation. The timeline distinguishes between short-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term goals.
8Action PlAn GuiDElinES
3. bE
AccountAblE
Vision Zero is rooted in the shared responsibility
among system designers and policymakers to design
and operate safe systems for transportation. Clear
ownership of Action Plan strategies is important to
achieving success and long-term institutionalization of
Vision Zero principles and outcomes.
Each Action Plan strategy should identify
the lead agency responsible, along with
supporting/partner agencies, and budget
needs.
Being clear about the budget implications for each
strategy will help ensure the sustainability of your
Vision Zero work and identify the need for additional
resources early on. This will also help to foster more
cross-departmental collaboration and community
partnerships to help fill those resource gaps.
questions you should answer for each
strategy:
» Is the strategy currently funded? If not, what is the need?
» Will you need to invest in training for planners, engineers, public works staff, police, or others to ensure everyone is working with the same understanding of Vision Zero implementation?
» Are there other key influencers outside of the city family that will be key to this goal’s success, such as the county or state? If so, lay out an action to address this need.
» Have you considered the seasonality of your Action Plan? Do annual weather patterns impact your construction schedules? Will you need to buy new equipment to ensure year-round maintenance of new facilities?
Equity lEnS
When you are planning annual Vision Zero funding
priorities, make sure to include support for training
and resources for city staff on the role structural
racism has played in creating inequitable street and
safety conditions in your community. It is important
to ensure that municipal staff have the training,
resources, and tools necessary to achieve the goals
they’ve been assigned in an equitable manner.
DEnVEr’S Action PlAn includes time-bound measurable goals with the responsible city departments identified.
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
9Action PlAn GuiDElinES
4. EnSurE
trAnSPArEncy
The process of establishing baseline data, creating the Action Plan, and assessing progress towards the goal of zero must be transparent to key stakeholders and the broader community.
Provide regular opportunities to measure progress, celebrate success, identify unforeseen challenges, prevent against problematic actions, and create an opportunity for course-corrections when needed.
At a minimum, cities should prioritize
the following actions to promote
transparency:
» Maintain a comprehensive, public website to share crash data and progress on Action Plan strategies, and solicit feedback on safety concerns, projects, and strategies;
» Meet routinely with your Vision Zero Task Force to solicit input, review data, and provide ongoing feedback on progress and challenges; » Meet with and solicit input from residents in an ongoing dialogue about Vision Zero projects, priorities and safety concerns; and
» Seek opportunities for 3rd party assessment of your progress, and report regularly (annually at a minimum) to key stakeholders, decision making bodies, and the public.
Equity lEnS
As part of San Francisco’s Vision Zero commitment, the city’s Traffic Commander reports quarterly to the SF Police Commission, in a public forum, on their traffic enforcement activities, providing opportunities for transparency and ensuring against problematic activities, such as racial bias in traffic stops.
Created by alrigelfrom the Noun Project
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
SEAttlE routinely posts Vision Zero updates
on its website. For example, each of the
projects listed below opens to a new page
with more project details and information
for “What’s happening now?” The city also
provides progress reports and additional
project analyses to update the public.
10Action PlAn GuiDElinES
PrioritiZE
roADWAy DESiGn
Roadway design is the most important factor that influences speed and safety. Cities should consider and plan transportation systems that make slower, safe speeds the norm to protect the most vulnerable road users, especially in areas with historic patterns of fatalities and serious injuries, which will, in turn, mean that all road users are safer.
recommended Actionable Strategies:
1. Invest in capital safety treatments in high injury areas, prioritizing improvements in Communities of Concern. Along with large capital improvements, consider low-cost, near-term safety treatments, such as painted corner sidewalk extensions and paint-and-post-protected bike lanes.
2. Identify intersections, corridors, and areas through predictive analysis where severe crashes are likely to occur, based on characteristics of the built environment, to proactively target interventions and prevent future serious crashes.
3. Create a rapid response protocol and delivery timelines for safety improvements when serious crashes do occur. This includes a rapid, on-the-ground assessment of the crash scene and immediate implementation for short-term or pilot interventions.
4. Employ policies including Complete Streets and Transit First in all projects in order to increase safety for all modes, and to boost the number of trips by walking, bicycling, and transit. Overall, more people moving by these modes and fewer by private autos will boost safety.
FocuS on SPEED
mAnAGEmEnt
In addition to roadway design, cities should employ specific strategies to reduce speed for the sake of safety. Most important is designing (or redesigning) roadways for safe, intended speeds. Proven countermeasures include lowering speed limits and the smart use of automated speed enforcement. A 2017 study by the National Transportation Safety Board recommends both greater usage of automated speed enforcement and flexibility for cities to lower speeds for the sake of safety.
recommended Actionable Strategies:
1. Prioritize designing streets to reduce vehicle speed in the High Injury Network first. Most Vision Zero cities have found that a relatively small percentage of the local road network contributes to the majority of severe crashes. Reducing speed on these roads through proven design measures will bring some of the biggest benefits.
2. Lower speed limits to fit context. In communities where there is a mix of people walking, biking, driving, and taking transit, speeds are generally more appropriate in the 20-25 mph range, and particularly in areas with schools, senior centers, parks, and transit centers.
3. Institute an automated speed enforcement program, a strategy which is proving effective in encouraging safe behavior and saving lives in communities in the U.S. and around the world. This should be carefully planned to ensure that safety and equity are the priorities of the program, avoiding the pitfalls of troubling perceptions about an over focus on revenue generation.
4. Create a neighborhood traffic calming program to reduce the number and severity of crashes on residential streets. These programs can be designed to allow communities to identify their own problems and nominate themselves for projects as in Boston’s Neighborhood Slow Streets program.
ActionAblE StrAtEGiES
Public transportation investment is among the most
cost effective ways to enhance traffic safety for a
community. Public transit passengers have less than 1/10 the per-mile crash rates as automobile occupants, and transit-oriented communities have less than 1/5 the total per capita traffic fatality rates as in automobile-dependent communities. Source: American Public Transportation Association
11Action PlAn GuiDElinES
utiliZE imPActFul
EDucAtion
StrAtEGiES
While roadway design and speed management are core to Vision Zero, education can bolster the success of Vision Zero implementation. While this includes educating people about safe road behaviors, it also includes educating policy makers, decision makers, and other influencers about the importance of Vision Zero and the strategies that are proven to be most effective in order to make real change.
recommended Actionable Strategies:
1. Use data and research to prioritize the most effective education/outreach strategies. This includes focusing on dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence, while avoiding overemphasizing attention on “distracted” pedestrians. Using this data-driven approach to proactively educate key stakeholders, including government partners and community members, about the leading causes and locations of injury crashes helps align efforts appropriately.
2. Implement or expand Safe Routes educational programming, such as Safe Routes to School, Safe Routes for Seniors, Safe Routes for People with Disabilities. These efforts should prioritize vulnerable populations and high crash areas, as well as areas targeted for increasing walking and bicycling trips.
3. Develop a Vision Zero training manual to share with key stakeholders. Training can include high-level principles, communications strategies, leading causes of injury crashes, the definition and meaning of the High Injury Network, etc. We also recommend requiring all municipal employees and contractors who drive a vehicle as part of their job to participate in Vision Zero safety trainings.
4. Require Vision Zero training for frequent drivers, such as fleet operators, taxi drivers, and large vehicle operators to meet certain safety practices. Cities can model good behavior by ensuring their own fleets, and those they contract with, require Vision Zero safety training.
Equity lEnS
Develop educational materials and communicate in languages that are appropriate for diverse communities. This may include multilingual flyers, pop-up information tents within the community, having information available on the city website, and working with community-based organizations who have developed relationships and trust in that community. Read our report Elevating Equity in Vision Zero Communications for more information.
nEW york city: Injury crash data showed
a concentration of serious crashes during late
afternoon and evening hours, so the Task Force
developed and implemented a multi-pronged
education and enforcement seasonal campaign
aimed at night safety. The city measured a 30%
decrease in traffic fatalities for the time period that
year compared to the same time frame during the
three previous years. (Read here for more details
on NYC’s research and campaign.)
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
12Action PlAn GuiDElinES
ReLeVANT exAMPLe
EnSurE
EnForcEmEnt iS
EquitAblE
As we emphasize Vision Zero’s safe systems approach
on the front-end — particularly through street design
and speed management strategies proven to encourage
safe behavior — we can reduce the need to correct for
individual problems on the back-end via traffic stops,
ticketing, and fines. Admittedly, this requires long-term
investment to shift our environment and our culture.
In the meantime, we must acknowledge and address
today’s pressing problems related to racial bias in
traffic enforcement and, by extension, to Vision Zero
enforcement activities.
It is important that promoters of Vision Zero in U.S.
communities recognize that officer-initiated traffic
stops allow for higher-than-average levels of individual
discretion and can be a slippery slope for racial bias
and aggressive police action. The broader Vision Zero
community has a role and responsibility in improving —
not exacerbating — these problems.
the most appropriate enforcement strategies
will focus on providing education on the
most dangerous driving behaviors and will
be community supported, as well as ensure
transparency into police activity. While enforcement
has a role to play in traffic safety efforts, it should
not be a primary strategy and should be approached
thoughtfully.
recommended Actionable Strategies:
1. Vision Zero Action Plans should commit to employing enforcement strategies that will not result in racial profiling. (See Portland’s example in sidebar.) Of course,
a commitment is not all that is needed, but it is an
important first step.
2. Focus enforcement on the most dangerous behaviors based on reliable data to ensure that this is communicated effectively to ensure public understanding. Activities such as speeding and violating
pedestrian right of way are more dangerous than minor
infractions such as broken taillights or overly tinted
windows, so police activity should focus on the former.
3. Provide regular updates on law enforcement’s traffic stop activities. This is essential to building trust amongst
the community for a productive role for enforcement.
Understanding who is being stopped by police, where,
and when, as well as who is ticketed, etc. will be
important information to ensure accountability.
4. Support a Community Policing approach as part of Vision Zero work. The U.S. Department of Justice
presents 10 Principles of Community Policing, including
two that police and the community share ownership,
responsibility, and accountability for the prevention of
crime, and that mutual trust between the police and the
community is essential for effective policing.
5. Create a diversion program to provide alternatives to traffic fines. Recognizing the disproportionate
impact of traffic fines on low-income communities, we
recommend developing diversion programs that offer
education and positive reinforcement of safe behavior in
place of overly burdensome fees.
Equity lEnS
When utilized properly, automated speed enforcement
can reduce the number of crashes as well as severity
of injuries. Though far under-used, this approach is cited
as one of the most effective in influencing behavior and
lowering dangerous speeds, while also de-emphasizing
officer-initiated traffic stops that cause concern about
racial profiling. If used inappropriately, these technologies
can reinforce structural inequities. It is important
to recognize that no piece of technology exists in a
vacuum. Any automated speed enforcement program
must be developed with input and buy-in from the most
marginalized and vulnerable people in your community.
Portland’s Vision Zero Action Plan includes
an explicit statement that the plan will be equitable
and “it will not result in racial profiling.” The
diversity of participants drafting Portland’s Action
Plan brought equity to the forefront throughout
its development. As a result, Portland explicitly
commits to develop and implement a set of actions
that would not lead to disproportionately negative
outcomes for communities of color and low-income
communities.
For more about Portland’s approach and other
recommendations regarding centering equity in Vision Zero,
see visonzeronetwork.org/resources/equity.
13Action PlAn GuiDElinES
While elements of evaluation are included
throughout this guide, we want to highlight the
importance of creating a transparent and regular
evaluation process for your Action Plan. Evaluation
can be one of the best ways to ensure your Action
Plan is a living document. How updates will be
developed should be included in the Plan, as well as
when progress updates will be provided to the public.
lead agencies working toward Vision Zero should regularly update policymakers, other agencies, and the public. This reporting
and evaluation process should include regular
updates in a variety of forums such as community
conversations, events, report cards, or other
creative engagement strategies.
recommended Actionable Strategies:
1. Highlight and celebrate accomplishments, but be real about challenges. Be transparent when
you don’t achieve a goal, assess what happened,
and recommend changes to the strategy to correct
course.
2. Revisit the Foundational Elements every time you modify a goal or strategy. A good Action Plan is
a living document that is utilized often and evolves
over time. However, it is important to maintain your
foundation throughout the process.
3. Utilize the Community Engagement and Equity Strategies outlined in this document to get feedback
on progress from the people in your community most
impacted by traffic crashes.
concluSion
Ultimately, there are no shortcuts or compromises
in achieving the goals of Vision Zero. The metrics of
success are simple: one fatality or serious injury in
traffic is one too many. A strong Action Plan will be a
road map for success in your Vision Zero efforts.
Numerous resources available at www.visionzeronetwork.org/resources
ViSion ZEro PrinciPlES
Why Vision Zero Differs from the Traditional Approach
to Traffic Safety
Nine Components of a Strong Vision Zero Commitment
Moving from Vision to Action: Fundamental Principles,
Policies & Practices to Advance Vision Zero in the U.S.
community EnGAGEmEnt
Incorporating and budgeting for community group
engagement
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, p. 18
Denver, Colorado, p. 8
Equity
Vision Zero Equity Strategies for Practitioners
Elevating Equity in Vision Zero Communications
Health Equity Road Map for Getting to Zero
Untokening 1.0 - Principles for Mobility Justice
communitiES oF concErn DEFinitionS
Denver, Colorado, p. 6
Los Angeles, California
Portland, Oregon
San Francisco, California
hiGh injury nEtWork ExAmPlES
Denver, Colorado, p. 8
Los Angeles, California
San Francisco, California, p. 6
ProGrESS rEPortS
New York City, New York
Seattle, Washington
Washington, D.C.
EVAluAtion & rESourcES
ReSouRCeS
14Action PlAn GuiDElinES
A PublicAtion oF thE
in PArtnErShiP With
liVAblEStrEEtS AlliAncE AnD thE
mASSAchuSEttS ViSion ZEro coAlition
WWW.ViSionZEronEtWork.orG
New Intersection Designs Coming to Ashland
- Bike Boxes -
E. Main at Mountain & Walker at Ashland St.
Ashland residents should look for upcoming changes to two well-traveled intersections. A new,
safer traffic design is coming to East Main at Mountain, and Ashland Street at Walker. These
projects will improve pedestrian, bicyclist and driver safety. As Scott Fleury, Ashland Public
Works Director, said “the changes reflect the community’s desire to rethink how we view safety
on our roads, and these solutions provide the paradigm shift that the public wants and the City
Council has directed.”
Additionally, these projects support the City’s transportation-infrastructure goal to provide a
safe, well-maintained, effective, and efficient multimodal transportation system at a reasonable
cost.
You’ll soon see green “bike boxes,” which will be markings painted near street intersections.
The associated road signs and markings help make clear—for bicyclists, pedestrians, and
motorists— how to use a bike box. Fleury noted “it is really pretty simple.”
● If you are driving, and arrive at a red light, stop and wait behind the bike box. Right-
turns are prohibited on red. Once the light turns green, wait for people using the bike
box in front of you to clear the intersection before you proceed.
● If you are riding a bicycle in the bike lane and arrive at a red light, enter the bike box
(behind the crosswalk). If you are traveling through the intersection, position yourself in
the center of the right-hand travel lane. Right-hand turns on red by bicyclists, after
stopping, are permitted. When the light turns green proceed through the intersection
merging into the bike lane in your chosen direction of travel.
● Motorists and people riding bicycles must yield to pedestrians crossing the road.
Bike boxes, according to Portland State University Professor Jennifer Dell, are perceived by both
motorists and people riding bicycles to make intersections safer. ”In particular, 42% of
motorists who are not cyclists felt driving through the intersection was safer with the bike
boxes (compared to 14% who felt it was more dangerous). Moreover, 77% of bicyclists felt
bicycling through the intersections was safer with the bike boxes (compared to 2% who felt it
was more dangerous).” (source)
Improvements at the intersection at Ashland Street and Walker are expected to occur in May,
2024 while the E. Main and Mountain intersection improvements aren’t expected until the fall
of 2024.
A short video describing the use of bike boxes for people riding bicycles is available at
https://express.adobe.com/video/ZkZT4S8KM1gha.
GENERAL INFORMATION
TYPES OF PROJECTS FUNDED
This grant funds two types of projects, as outlined below:
W Planning and Demonstration Grants are for applicants without Action Plans. They fund the development or refinement of comprehensive safety action plans, defined as a strategic document that outlines effective measures to reduce road accidents and injuries. These grants also support further safety analysis and pilot projects to test new safety improvements. Example projects include:
_Comprehensive safety analysis to identify high-risk areas.
_Community engagement activities to gather input on safety concerns.
_Development of goals and strategies for reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
_Planning and design for quick-build safety improvements as demonstration projects.
_Quick-build strategies to test roadway design changes, such as temporary bike lanes or pedestrian zones.
_MUTCD Engineering Studies for new traffic control devices or markings.
_Pilot programs for new safety technologies or approaches, such as adaptive signal control technology or pedestrian safety interventions.
W Implementation Grants are for applicants who have an Action Plan or a similar document that meets several criteria. This type of grant helps execute specific safety-enhancing strategies and projects outlined in the plan, along with additional planning and demonstration efforts to update and improve the plan based on the latest insights. Example projects include:
_Infrastructure projects focused on improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety, such as crosswalk enhancements, traffic calming measures, and protected bike lanes.
_Carrying out demonstration projects identified in an Action Plan, such as behavioral campaigns targeting specific safety issues like impaired driving, speeding, or pedestrian visibility.
_Operational improvements, including dynamic speed limit signage, improved street lighting, and intersection safety upgrades.
_Detailed design and engineering of safety improvements identified in an action plan.
_Environmental review and permitting processes for large-scale infrastructure projects.
_Development and testing of innovative technologies or approaches to be implemented as part of an Action Plan.
Applicants are encouraged to approach the application process with a holistic view, considering the interconnectedness of various safety strategies and the potential for integrated solutions to address complex safety issues. By focusing on comprehensive planning and engagement, entities can craft robust proposals that demonstrate a clear vision for significantly improving roadway safety in their communities.
Interested in applying? Please notify Daniel Bartelson, Principal, at daniel@ebaplanning.com or (626) 799-8011.
AL ERTGRANT
Total Funding Available: $1,256,687,000
Minimum/Maximum Request: $100,000 to $10 million (planning and demonstration); $2.5 million to $25 million (implementation)
Match Requirement: The Federal share of an SS4A grant may not exceed 80 percent of total eligible project costs. Recipients are required to contribute a local matching share of no less than 20 percent of total eligible project costs. This match can be met through in-kind contributions or other non-Federal sources
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL
(SS4A) GRANT PROGRAM
SCHEDULE
MILESTONES SCHEDULE
Application period opens February 21, 2024
Planning and demonstration applications due
April 4, 2024May 16, 2024August 29, 2024
Implementation pre-applications due April 17, 2024
Implementation applications due May 16, 2024
Awarded projects announced
First round: May 2024Second round: Not specified Final round: November 17, 2024
Agreements executed 12 months after award
Projects can begin 12 months after award
This grant aims to enhance roadway safety nationwide, with objectives including supporting comprehensive safety action plans, funding innovative safety solutions, and assisting in project and strategy implementation.