Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate roadway fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proved successful across Europe - and now it’s gaining momentum in major American cities.
Vision Zero Approach
The City’s Vision Zero program is founded on the following beliefs and practices:
- Loss of life on our roads is unacceptable and preventable
- Focus on deadly and life-altering injury crashes, and eliminate inequities
- Responsibility is shared through a safe system that prioritizes the most vulnerable users
- Anticipate that people will make mistakes; therefore we must design roadways to be more forgiving
- Cross-collaboration is imperative
- Implement outcome-driven, strategic investments that are based on data and equity
- Proactively and systemically address problems before deadly and life-altering injury crashes occur
Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow
Mayor Jane Castor announced the City of Tampa’s commitment to Vision Zero in October 2019 at the National Safe Routes to Schools Conference, a recommendation that came from the Mayor’s Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow effort. Since then, the City joined the Vision Zero Network, hired a Vision Zero Coordinator, and developed the City’s first-ever Vision Zero Action Plan. The City of Tampa is dedicated to achieving Vision Zero by working collaboratively across all Departments and with partner agencies and organizations to implement the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan. This effort is being led by the City’s Mobility Department, in partnership with other Departments.