Washington, DC Vision Zero Summit 2018

WABA is hosting the 2018 Vision Zero Summit next Thursday at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (950 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20052).

In the three years since the District of Columbia committed to Vision Zero, traffic deaths have gone up, not down. In the past two years, Montgomery County and Alexandria have also committed to ending all roadway fatalities and serious injuries within a decade.

The high number of tragedies on our roadways are largely predictable and preventable. On March 15th, policymakers, advocates, experts, and implementers will explore systemic ways to turn commitments and action plans in to substantive change.

This daylong event will feature plenary speakers Mayor Muriel Bowser and CityFi Founder Gabe Klein, as well as expert panelists on topics that include:

• How to ensure that Vision Zero programs don’t perpetuate systemic injustice
• How to actually get people to drive safely
• How agency staff tasked with carrying out Vision Zero can overcome institutional barriers to change
• Why we should treat traffic injuries as a public health issue
• Opportunities for cross-jurisdictional regional collaboration

Registration is $65, but scholarships are available. 

DC Mayor Bowser, DC CM Charles Allen, Gabe Klein, Montgomery County CM Hans Riemer, and Alexandria Vice-Mayor Justin Wilson and several others are going to be there. 

Comments

[Crickey]

"In the three years since the District of Columbia committed to Vision Zero, traffic deaths have gone up, not down."

Vision Zero is not just words. It's actions. And actions have been generally lacking here.

[washcycle]

There's been SOME action. Is it a lot more than what would have happened otherwise? I don't know, I feel like some stuff is just labelled "Vision Zero" and very little can be attributed to the program itself. But, I also have seen in my role on the BAC that most of the traffic deaths in DC have been from either DWI, speeding or all too often speeding+DWI. There are a lot of fatal single-car crashes, or people who are in the wrong place when a drunk driver loses control of their car. The only way to stop those that I can think of is a lot more enforcement. (Which is what we should do).