Vision Zero

What is Vision Zero?

• What's Happening?

  DTPW submitted a competitive Safe Streets and Roads for All (SSA4) grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This new grant program highlights the USDOT’s commitment to Vision Zero and advancing the Safe System approach – a holistic tactic of reconstructing our roadway network to encourage safe speeds and reduce injury severity in crashes.
  
  The projects included in the grant application help advance our Vision Zero goal while centering equity to serve our most disadvantaged and disinvested communities. 
  
  Vision Zero Funding
  Vision Zero staff continues to apply for state and federal funding sources to expedite the delivery of Vision Zero projects and program elements. In Sept. 2022, staff submitted a competitive Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant application to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). This new grant program highlights USDOT’s commitment to Vision Zero.
  
  Staff also submitted anComplete Streets application for Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) County Incentive Grant Program (CIGP). This state grant focuses on funding projects that relieve traffic congestion on State Highway System (SHS) roads. DTPWs proposal focuses on conducting a Complete Streets study on three Vision Zero priority corridors parallel to SHS. These projects will improve traffic congestion in SHS roads by creating safer environments for local travel. Residents would opt for their neighborhood collector streets over the SHS arterials for the smaller trips, which account for 70 percent of household trips.
  
  Safety Projects Design are Underway
  DTPW’s Project Delivery team is currently designing 23 projects across the county aimed at improving safety and comfort for all users. Projects vary from installing high-visibility crosswalks, buffer bike lanes to construction of traffic circles, roundabouts, curb extensions, pedestrian-actuated crossing signal (aka Rapid Flashing Beacons) and new traffic signals. These projects are funded through 2024 with expected construction starting in Spring 2023.
  
  Ongoing Public Engagement
  A key priority of DTPW’s Vision Zero Framework Plan is to ensure effective community engagement, particularly in underserved neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County. Vision Zero’s public engagement team has conducted 32 outreach events throughout the County in 2022 for the launch of the Vision Zero Program, with 30% of these events taking place in equity districts as identified in the Plan. Events have included outreach at transit stations, attending community events such as the Children’s Trust Family Expo, back to school events, and community food drives. Residents provided their opinions to project team members in English, Spanish and Creole and all materials have been translated.
  
  Ever committed to deploying innovative techniques to maximize opportunities for public participation, DTPW is using an online engagement tool that allows residents to provide their opinions on Vision Zero Locations by simply dropping pins on maps and leaving comments. Let us know how you really feel about safety issues on Vision Zero locations in your area!. If you are interested in participating in our program outreach, requesting a presentation be made to your employer and/or organization or, learning more about getting involved in our Vision Zero initiative, email [email protected].
• Focus Areas

  

  Miami-Dade County is following the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Safe System approach to achieve its goal of Vision Zero. The Safe System approach is rooted in the six principles that; deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive, and redundancy is crucial.

  
  The Safe System approach comprises five elements that together, create a holistic approach with layers of protection for road users: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care.
  
  MDC’s commitment to zero traffic deaths informs five key focus areas that have been established to guide the County’s Vision Zero Efforts:
  

  • Enhance Processes and Collaboration
    Since Vision Zero is a philosophy new to Miami-Dade County and impacts the management of its transportation system, many foundational changes are needed to institutionalize the approach. Though the County regularly coordinates transportation projects and safety initiatives internally and externally; as a matter of practice, existing processes, programs, and laws do not explicitly address the loss of life on our streets in a proactive, data-driven manner.
    
    Key Actions
    DTPW will formally identify and continuously fund Vision Zero program with targeted processes and the right tools to ensure that systematic street design and cultural changes seamlessly happen. 
    
    
  • Build Safe Streets for Everyone
    When we asked people what the County should do to improve traffic safety, the overwhelming top response was: build safe streets for everyone, including safe pedestrian crossings, bicycle facilities, and roadways. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are often placed at the greatest risk when navigating the transportation system, and therefore streets and safety countermeasures should be designed with the needs of these vulnerable road users in mind. 
    
    Key Actions
    DTPW will implement targeted infrastructure improvements at identified high injury crash locations to begin building safer streets for all users of our streets. 
    
    
  • Create Safe Speeds
    Speed reduction is an essential Vision Zero strategy. Higher speeds not only increase the risk of a crash, but also increase the risk of serious injury or death, regardless of mode. The effects of speeding are most pronounced for pedestrians, whose risk of dying if struck by a vehicle increases substantially with vehicle speed. 
    
    Key Actions
    DTPW will establish stronger partnerships with enforcement agencies to develop appropriate speed enforcement strategies. Additionally, DTPW will work to update the county’s engineering design standards, which guides how DTPW makes decisions about street design and operations, to include Complete Streets treatments, as identified in the Miami-Dade Complete Streets Design Guidelines.
    
    
  • Promote a Culture of Safety
    Safer streets and lower speeds will go a long way toward eliminating traffic deaths in Miami-Dade County. However, only through honoring our collective responsibility to make safe transportation decisions can we achieve our Vision Zero goals. Safe street design alone cannot prevent someone from driving under the influence or while distracted. A culture shift must take place to develop a collective understanding that our streets are places for people of all ages and abilities to travel, play, shop, build community, and live.
    
    Key Actions
    DTPW will implement a multimodal safety and multimedia safety education campaign for all street users. Educating Miamians about safe behaviors in a compelling and personal manner will assist DTPW and its partners to implement many of the other actions in this category.
    
    
  • Improve Data and Be Transparent
    Building from the findings of the analysis conducted for the Vision Zero Action Framework Plan, we must continue collecting and analyzing crash and speed data while evaluating future project safety impacts and creating a data-driven prioritization process focused on community needs and prioritization of the pedestrian realm, transit, and bicycle facilities. Program progress and information should be shared with the public and stakeholders to support and promote efficiency and effectiveness.
    
    Key Actions
    DTPW will establish an official Vision Zero dashboard to be available to the public with project updates, events, educational campaigns, and aggregate crash information so that all agencies and partners build their information with consistent information and messaging.
• Resources

  Plans & Reports
  

  • MDC Vision Zero 2021 Framework Plan
  • Vision Zero GIS Map

  Presentations
  

  • Vision Zero Municipal Workshop Presentation 

  Educational Materials
  

  • Vision Zero Fact Sheet
  • Vision Zero Fact Sheet (Spanish)
  • Vision Zero Fact Sheet (Creole)

  Other related materials
  

  • FDOT's Target Zero Plan
  • TPO's Vision Zero Plan