El Paso Launches Vision Zero Planning

An article by Martha Pskowski in the El Paso Times outlines the city’s recently approved plan to fund and implement Vision Zero research and interventions. According to the article, 75 people died in traffic crashes in El Paso in 2021, making it the 18th most dangerous city in the country for pedestrians, per Smart Growth America’s 2022 Dangerous by Design report. “On April 26, the City Council approved a contract for up to $682,619 with the California-based company Alta Planning + Design Inc. for consultation on Vision Zero planning from May 2022 to September 2023.”

The city’s traffic deaths aren’t distributed evenly across racial lines, the article notes. “An El Paso Times analysis in 2021 found that Hispanics, who make up about 83% of El Paso's population, are more than three times as likely to be hit by a car than Anglo pedestrians.” In light of this finding, “El Paso also plans to integrate racial and socio-economic equity to its Vision Zero plan to address the higher risk people of color and low-income residents face on city streets.” The city now plans to initiate a public awareness campaign and community engagement efforts as research and planning efforts move forward.