The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) this month will hold the inaugural meeting of the newly formed safety-oriented Vision Zero Council.
The state's Vision Zero Council was established this year by the Connecticut General Assembly as part of a transportation safety bill, according to a CTDOT press release. The primary mission of the council will be to develop a statewide policy and interagency approach to eliminate transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries involving pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists, and passengers.
“CTDOT is committed to eliminating deaths on our roadways and having our sister agencies at the table will help make this possible,” Garrett Eucalitto, CTDOT Deputy Commissioner and Vision Zero Council Chair, said in a statement. “By bringing diverse perspectives together on the Vision Zero Council and engaging with and listening to the concerns of the public and safety stakeholders, we can better shape our approach to making Connecticut’s transportation system safer for all users.”
The Vision Zero Council is comprised of the commissioners of the Departments of Transportation, Public Health, Emergency Services and Public Protection, Motor Vehicles, Education, and Aging and Disability Services.
Statistics show a trend of increasing road-user fatalities, particularly for pedestrians, CTDOT says. The department recently announced a Toward Zero Deaths Campaign to promote an enhanced culture of safety, as well as a Comprehensive Pedestrian Safety Strategy to increase awareness and target the root causes of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the state.
----------
SOURCE: Connecticut Department of Transportation
