From left, Natalie Draisin, Director - North America, FIA Foundation; Takis Karantonis, Arlington County Board Vice Chair; Maureen Coffey, Arlington County Board Member; David Priddy, Arlington School Board Member; Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes To School; Hui Wang, Deputy Director & Director of Transportation, Department of Environmental Services
Arlington County received the 2024 Vision Zero for Youth U.S. Leadership Award
"Arlington’s work to prioritize safe walking and biking for youth exemplifies Vision Zero for Youth leadership," said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director at the National Center for Safe Routes to School, part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. "We hope their work will be emulated in other communities across the country."
The award committee was impressed by Arlington’s wide-ranging traffic calming strategies, such as 20 mph slow zones on streets near schools; accessible school zone retrofits and initiation of speed cameras in school zones; the use of data to prioritize equity emphasis areas and areas around schools for safety improvements, followed by accessible quick-build and pilot projects when possible; inclusion of the needs of youth in its Vision Zero Action Plan; and actively seeking engagement and input from community members in an inclusive way.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School presented Arlington County and APS with the award at Washington-Liberty High School. The school has a chapter of the Arlington Road Safety Club, a student-led initiative focused on creating awareness and educating their peers about safe travel in Arlington. The high school is also a stop along Escuela Key Elementary School’s “bike bus” (Bicbus) route.
The Vision Zero for Youth U.S. Leadership Award, now in its seventh year, recognizes cities, counties or tribal governments that are taking crucial steps to stop severe injuries and deaths among child and youth pedestrians and bicyclists. The award highlights noteworthy practices and inspires other cities to take action. Past recipients include Los Angeles; New York City; Fremont, Calif.; Lincoln, Neb.; and Seattle. The Milwaukee SRTS Program received an innovation award during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vision Zero Action Plan is in its third year of implementation as Arlington County works toward the goal of zero injuries and fatalities in our transportation network by 2030. Find more information on the Vision Zero webpage, including maps and safety data, safety project implementation, and community engagement. https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Transportation/Vision-Zero#section-1