GDOT Annual Report 2017

Zero. In some instances we all like it. Zero interest, zero payments, zero calories. How about zero fatalities on our roadways? Greensboro has joined a growing number of governments to make that commitment to safety and its residents. The “vision zero”movement began with Swedish parliament in 1997. Sweden was the first country to adopt this policy, based on the belief that loss of life is not an acceptable price to pay for mobility. Several countries followed suit and in 2012 Chicago became the first city in the United States to commit to reduce transportation-related deaths to zero by 2022. Since then, Austin, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, andWashington DC have also become Vision Zero Focus Cities. In October 2016, then-Governor Pat McCrory introduced the NC Vision Zero initiative with the goal of cutting roadway fatalities in half within the next 15 years and a long-term goal of zero deaths on North Carolina roadways. Greensboro Commits to End Roadway Fatalities

future to incorporate new data collection and traffic management technologies and software capabilities. More Improvements to Come Although systemic widenings, intersection improvements, and the new traffic signal system, the city and MPO area still has congested locations. GDOT staff is constantly evaluating intersections and analyzing crash data to identify future improvements. locations, the City staff is also using real time data from vendors like INRIX, HERE, or TomTom. These vendors provided travel time data for vehicles and trucks across the country. The City also has a two- way data share partnership with Waze. Waze provides anonymous incident and slow-down information directly from participating drivers. The City will be able to provide Waze users with advanced notice of major traffic events, such as concerts, festivals, and special events that may affect their daily commutes. congestion on major roadways has been reduced through In addition to using traditional methods to identify congested

The initiative will require the collaboration of multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders including those in the Greensboro area. The City will engineer safer roads, educate all of road users, and enforce traffic laws. Individually drivers must remember to make good decisions, obey speed laws, wear seat belts, and avoid the temptations of distracted driving.

1,387 people were killed on North Carolina roads in 2015.

Over the next several months, Greensboro Department of Transportation will be evaluating existing programs and begin transitioning to incorporate the goals of the NC Vision Zero campaign. North Carolina is the ninth most populated state in the country, yet ranks fifth in traffic fatalities. The NC Transportation Secretary James Trogdon has made safety a top priority and Vision Zero will play an instrumental role to reducing traffic fatalities. Visit ncvisionzero.org to learn more about the NC Vision Zero initiative.

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