Louisville Slowly Working Toward Vision Zero Commitment

If approved, an ordinance under consideration in Louisville would commit to eventually eliminate traffic fatalities…20 years in the future.

1 minute read

June 14, 2022, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A Downtown Louisville street at night, with the lights of passing shown with a blurred effect.

Main Street in Louisville, Kentucky. | Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock

“Louisville Metro Council is debating a proposed ordinance that would commit the city to a goal of eliminating roadway deaths by 2050, an initiative known as Vision Zero,” reports Roberto Roldan for WFPL. “More than 900 people have died from crashes on non-interstate roadways in Louisville since 2014, according to city data, including 185 pedestrians.”

The ordinance would “require city agencies like Public Works and Louisville Metro Police to create an action plan for reducing fatal collisions and provide Metro Council with an annual update,” according to Roldan.

The ordinance has encountered resistance on the Metro Council from elected officials concerned about street reconfigurations might hurt business.

There is also little in the way of evidence that Vision Zero programs in other parts of the country (e.g., Seattle, Portland, New York City, the entire country) have done anything to reduce traffic collisions outside of a few rare examples (e.g., Fremont and Hoboken).

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