Kansas City made a commitment to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030 by City Council resolution. This resolution noted the need for a Vision Zero Action Plan to guide all aspects of traffic safety. Kansas City has among the highest rates of fatal traffic crashes of any similarly sized city in the United States; it also has a long history of racial segregation and disinvestment in minority neighborhoods. Improving equity in Kansas City is a major focus today and was a major focus of this plan.
WSP USA led the effort to develop a comprehensive Vision Zero Action Plan, drawing on over a year of public engagement efforts directed toward traffic safety and mobility. The Action Plan included an extensive data analysis effort that looked at the relationship between traffic crashes and race, land use context, roadway operations and roadway features.
One major finding from this effort was in the relationship between traffic congestion and severe crashes. As traffic congestion on streets decreased, fatal and serious injury crashes increased. This finding helped support countermeasures targeted at reducing roadway capacity to provide for transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
The Action Plan included a detailed description of focus areas, most importantly speed and equity; a list of core safety principles to incorporate into all aspects of City decision making; and a detailed list of action steps related to policy, procedure, education, enforcement and engineering.
