Montgomery County Council Commitment to Vision Zero
We congratulate the entire Montgomery County Council for your wisdom and foresight in adopting Vision Zero. It is encouraging to have unanimous support in recognizing that pedestrian, drivers, and bicyclist deaths are preventable by a data-driven approach. In 2015, more than 80 people died in crashes on Montgomery County streets. Traffic related deaths and serious injuries cause significant community grief, devastating loss for families and negatively impact the economy of the County.
In order to make this initiative as effective as possible, we request that a target date to achieve zero deaths in Montgomery County be set within the next few days or weeks, rather than waiting until October 1st. Cities around the United States are setting target dates of no more than 10 years in the future. Setting a target date early in the process advances the goal of zero deaths by providing an end date for a timetable. The resolution calls for, but is not limited to, three objectives:
- a date by which to achieve zero deaths
- a set of activities that County agencies will take to implement the Action Plan
- a set of recommended policy changes at the state and local levels
If objective (a) is achieved within the next few days or weeks, it will help facilitate a timetable for objectives (b) and (c). A shared timetable across multiple departments and advisory groups will be key to the success of a broad-based approach. A defined deadline will allow the community and policy makers to work together to achieve zero deaths as quickly as possible.
We stand with the Montgomery County Council in support of Vision Zero— an ambitious, achievable and necessary goal. We urge the Council to set a target year for achieving zero traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.
Sincerely,
Ronit Aviva Dancis, President, Action Committee for Transit
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
Gregory Billing, Executive Director, Washington Area Bicyclist Association