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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis city leaders plan to propose a program called “Vision Zero,” with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2035. The proposal, which City County Council members will introduce Monday evening, follows multiple years in which pedestrians and cyclists have experienced high numbers of injuries and deaths.
In 2020, Indianapolis saw 39 pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, the highest number in the last 15 years, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. That number ticked up to 40 in both 2021 and 2022.
So far in 2024, 23 pedestrians and cyclists have been hit and killed on Indy’s streets, according to Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis.
Advocates have sounded the alarm on the uptick. Last year, city officials passed a measure to add no-turn-on-red restrictions at stoplights throughout the city in an effort to slow incidents.
The new proposal would establish a citywide task force to craft a Vision Zero action plan. A 15-member task force would review existing data, make recommendations based on best practices and maintain public access through open meetings and an online portal.
The proposal is co-sponsored by councilors John Barth, Andy Nielsen, Kristin Jones, Jesse Brown, Brienne Delaney, Jared Evans, Rena Allen, Ron Gibson, Crista Carlino, and Derek Cahill. It will be referred to the Public Works Committee, which meets Thursday, July 18, at 5:30 p.m. The committee will take public comment on the proposal at that meeting.
What is Vision Zero?
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all, according to Vision Zero Network. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero programs have spread across Europe and now are gaining momentum in major American cities.
The road safety strategy considers all traffic fatalities and severe injuries as preventable and unacceptable. It uses a systemwide approach, rather than an individual approach, to traffic safety. It recognizes that individuals will sometimes make mistakes, but road design and policies should work to ensure those mistakes don’t result in fatal or severe crashes.
Who would work on the action plan?
If the proposal passes as written, the city would hire a full-time, dedicated Vision Zero administrator by Jan. 1, 2025. That individual would work across departments to create long-term policy solutions and budget recommendations to be considered and adopted over the next decade.
City leaders would appoint a 15-member Vision Zero Task Force of Marion County residents and city-county employees. The Indianapolis mayor would appoint seven members, while the Indianapolis City-County Council president would appoint eight.
Appointments from the council president would consist of:
- Three members of the City-County Council, including one from the minority caucus and one that will serve as chair of the task force;
- One member representing the older adult community;
- One member representing a local advocacy organization;
- One member representing the prosecutor’s office;
- One member representing the recreational cycling community;
- And one member representing a public school corporation in Marion County.
The mayoral appointments:
- One member representing the Department of Public Works;
- One member representing the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department;
- One member representing the Department of Metropolitan Development;
- One member representin the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services;
- One member representing the Indianapolis Fire Department;
- One member representing the Office of Finance and Management;
- And one member representing IndyGo.
How would the group take action and report progress?
The task force would hold its first public meeting by Oct. 1 and meet at least twice a year.
The governing body would adopt a Vision Zero action plan by July 1, 2025. Each strategy in that plan would include deadlines for implementation, those responsible for implementation, funding sources or actions needed to obtain funding, and performance goals or metrics.
The task force would report progress on the plan to the City-County Council on a quarterly basis. It would also update the plan annually before May.
The city would establish a Vision Zero page on its website, www.indy.gov. It would track progress of the Vision Zero Action Plan and the plan’s implementation through 2035. Officials would update a progress dashboard on the website twice annually and produce an annual report summarizing the work completed on the strategies.
Columbus, Ohio, Hoboken, New Jersey, and Denver, Colorado are among the American cities that have implemented a Vision Zero plan.
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Does cyclists refer to motorcyclists or bicyclists—or perhaps both? The reference to pedestrians makes me wonder if the article is talking about bicycle fatalities as well. A clarification would be helpful.
a cyclist is a person who is riding a bicycle.
What does this mean for Sen. Freeman’s Zero Vision plan?
Hopefully the Freeman “plan” dies a rightful death.
This and any other articles I could find about this topic, set world records for the most amount of words written without saying anything. Apparently it is somehow “equitable” and the Gannett idiots support it, which tells me everything I need to know
Chuck you’ve managed to write a complaint about the article not “saying anything” without adding anything yourself. Bravo! We’ve reached new heights of partisan bad-faith whining.
Look in the mirror Michael!
*Yawn*
More right-wing snowflake whining instead of intellectual curiosity. Typical.
Michael, did those 2 sentences make sense in your head before you typed them? AR, the guy that has time to post on every single article, claiming to be bored is hilarious. Typical IBJ readers
Lol you’re here too, bud. Those who live in glass houses…
If you’re referring to the IBJ as “Gannett idiots,” Gannett owns the Star, not the IBJ.
Do we really need another layer of bureaucracy?
Great just what we need another high-paid administration person. Why don’t they try to cut down on the number of murders throughout the city.
The literal point of this is to cut down the number of deaths inflicted on pedestrians by car drivers. Try harder next time.
Self awareness of your surroundings is the only real solution, not entitlements for everyone else to look out for us, Michael!
Kevin would rather be able to drive 55 in a 35 than ensure small children don’t get crushed by a Yukon while they wait to cross the street. I guess I need to reconsider my entitlement though
It’s genuinely hilarious to be condescendingly told how to drive by someone who doesn’t know what “self-aware” means.
Michael a lot of these pedestrian deaths could be cut down if people actually use the crosswalks and follow the signals to cross when it tells them to instead of dashing across the middle of the street or ignoring the crosswalk signs. I can tell you’re one of those types who it’s always someone else’s fault instead of assuming responsibility for your own actions.
Yet another push to befoul our city’s traffic grid with anything that makes it more difficult for vehicular transportation, which is the lifeblood of a modern city. A lot of urban planners these days hate the city and want to make it like the golf cart communities that they grew up in. And pretty much 0% of them ever have worked out of a truck pulling a trailer.
Trucks pulling trailers…are not supposed to be on many city streets. Ever.
Might better focus their efforts on the record number of murders occurring in the city.
When a driver kills somebody with their car, is that not a murder?
What about cyclists going WAY TOO FAST and hitting pedestrians on trails like the MONON. I’ve seen it happen a lot. Cyclists can be and are very often completely obnoxious. Pedestrians have the right of way. Try telling that to entitled cyclists.
I drive through downtown Monday through Friday and I can say that cyclists do not obey traffic signals or stop signs. They pause and go right through like those things do not apply to them. I have scene some pretty close misses due to their non compliance.
Also, I do think that the no turn on red will help to decrease incincents. However, pedestrians do run across busy streets and pay no attention to cross walk indicators. It is going to take everyone obeying signals and laws to stop the accidents that are happening. Motorists are not the only reason that people are being hurt.