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Recommendation to request City of Long Beach to adopt the goal of Vision Zero to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries among all road users, including those walking, bicycling and driving by 2026 through the following recommendations:
• Request analysis of corridors and intersections with high
bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicle injury crash rates to
understand traffic safety issues and to help prioritize
resources based on geographic areas and issues of the
greatest need within 180 days.
• Request City Manager form a Vision Zero Task Force made
up of relevant City departments (LBPD, Public Works,
Health and Human Services, Development Services),
Long Beach Transit, Long Beach Unified School District
and community members with mobility or urban planning
expertise to develop an action plan with clear strategies,
"owners" of each strategy, interim targets, timelines, and
measurable goals.
• Request an (biannual or annual) update be made available to
the City Council and community members on the progress
made toward each interim target and/or goal.
• Request the preparation of a highly graphic and inspiring
Vision Zero document stating the City's intent and providing
and providing context and background for Vision Zero within
180 days.
DISCUSSION
Vision Zero got its start in Sweden in the 1990's after decades of above average fatality and injury rates from crashes between vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Since setting the goal of eliminating fatalities and injuries by 2020, Sweden has cut its traffic fatalities in half, despite the increase in vehicles and miles of road constructed in the same amount oftime (The Economist, Feb 2014).
Vision Zero is a data-driven initiative that seeks to unify infrastructure design, public education and enforcement efforts around the goal of zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe and healthy mobility for all types of users. It can be summarized in one sentence: No loss oflife is acceptable. The Vision Zero approach has proven highly successful. It is based on the simple fact that we are human and make mistakes. The road system needs to keep us moving and be designed to anticipate those mistakes. But it must also be designed to protect us at every turn.
San Francisco is one of a number of cities in the US to have adopted a Vision Zero policy. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Boston, Washington DC, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Fremont, Austin and Columbia, MO are currently undertaking major street safety initiatives inspired by the original Vision Zero effort.
Since 2006, Long Beach has made steady progress toward its goal of being a leader among bicycle and pedestrian friendly cities through changes in our infrastructure and adoption of related policies. Our commitment to a Bicycle Master Plan and prescribed improvements such as bike lanes, traffic circles, bike boulevards and sharrows has resulted in a marked increase in bicycle ridership over the last 9 years.
In our efforts to make Long Beach pedestrian friendly, we have adopted a Mobility Element (2013) and Downtown Plan (2012), recently completed a 3-mile pedestrian beach path and are developing a TransitOriented Development Pedestrian Master Plan. Our public transit system features light rail and bus routes located within a short walking distance of93% of our residents (BikeLongBeach.org).
DISCUSSION:
As an urban planner, elected official, and most especially a mother of a small boy old enough to explore his own neighborhood, I am continually asking myself and others in our city - whom do our streets belong to? Nine years ago, this question might have been answered very differently by city staff believing that streets are made exclusively for cars and their purpose is to move vehicles from point A to point B as fast as possible. However, Long Beach has undergone a transformation as a result of the various stars in our municipal universe aligning - giving way to an answer that our streets belong to multiple users and forms of mobility, even in a built out city like Long Beach.
What's happening in Long Beach is nothing short of a tectonic shift in our approach to mobility and planning - the complete street is our goal and I am very pleased we are able to witness our accomplishments thus far and continue to reach even higher for new goals.
FISCAL IMPACT
According to staff s analysis in a prior report to the City Council, additional workload associated with the implementation of this policy is expected to be minimal and absorbed within current budgeted resources. The anticipated revenue generated from the proposed new fees is expected to be minimal. There is no impact to jobs associated with the recommended action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
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[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
SUJA LOWENTHAL
VICE MAYOR, SECOND DISTRICT
LENA GONZALEZ
COUNCILWOMAN, FIRST DISTRICT
DEE ANDREWS
COUNCILMAN, SIXTH DISTRICT
REX RICHARDSON
COUNCLIMEMBER, NINTH DISTRICT