A couple of weeks ago we shared the link to Safe Streets Lincoln‘s public input survey. You have until July 31 to mark and identify areas of concern to bicyclist safety on the interactive map, so please do. I’m looking at you NW Lincoln. I know some of you commute up there and have had close calls. If you would like to commute to work anywhere in Lincoln and do more utility cycling, but have reservations about your safety that keep you from doing it, they need to know! Recreational cyclists that drive to a trailhead because getting there is too dangerous or difficult to ride, please indicate it on the map! I see lots of areas of concern, and I’ve contributed, now lets get more points indicated.
Here is a little more information about Safe Streets Lincoln from our Lincoln Transportation and Utilities:
Vision Zero Action Plan
Project Overview
Safe Streets Lincoln is a local initiative aligned with the national Vision Zero campaign, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities. This project focuses on developing a comprehensive Vision Zero Action Plan, with a safety goal of eliminating all roadway fatalities and reducing serious injury crashes by 60% by 2045 on all locally maintained streets.
Vision Zero acknowledges that many factors contribute to safe mobility, including street design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies. Through this initiative, Safe Streets Lincoln sets clear goals to achieve the shared vision of safer streets for all road users.
Project Timeline
The Vision Zero Action Plan kicked off in September 2024 and is anticipated to be completed by December 2025.
The mission of the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) to provide the safe and efficient movement of all modes of traffic in the City of Lincoln. Safe Streets Lincoln is a local initiative, which is part of the national Vision Zero campaign to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The Safe Streets Lincoln initiative and national Vision Zero concept prioritize traffic safety and consider it a public health issue. The Vision Zero strategy acknowledges that many factors contribute to safe mobility – including street design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies – and that traffic safety is a shared responsibility. Safe Streets Lincoln is a community-driven initiative committed to greater traffic safety, using a comprehensive approach to identify strategies and projects that keep all road users safe.
A Shift in Thinking
Pursuing the Safe Streets Lincoln and Vision Zero concept offers a positive and proactive shift in thinking from traffic crashes happen, to traffic crashes resulting in street fatalities and serious injuries are preventable. The table below provides an overview.
| TraditionalPrevailing Framework | Vision Zero Framework | |
|---|---|---|
| Issue | Preventing All Crashes | Preventing Fatalities and Serious Injuries |
| Premise | Deaths are Inevitable | Deaths are Preventable |
| Focus | Perfecting Human Behavior | Designing a Road System that Accounts for Human Error |
| Responsibility | Individual Road Users | Shared Responsibility: Road Users and System Designers |