City leaders in Indianapolis are advancing a bold plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2035.
On Wednesday, the Vision Zero Task Force presented its new action plan, outlining strategies to improve roadway safety for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The plan includes 25 strategies and 75 action items guided by five core pillars: safe roads, safe people, safe speeds, safe vehicles and post-crash care.
“This is not a singular issue,” said John Barth, City-County councilor and chair of the task force, in a statement. “It goes across all city departments and involves the public. We have to pull it all together and execute on this strategy.”
The Vision Zero initiative is part of a global movement that treats traffic deaths as preventable rather than inevitable. The action plan emphasizes infrastructure redesign, speed management, public education and improved emergency response.
“It’s going to educate the public that Vision Zero is for everyone, no matter their mode of transportation,” said Leandre Level Jr., the city’s first Vision Zero administrator, in a statement. “It’s not just about engineering—it’s about equity, data-driven solutions and proven methods.”
Among the proposed solutions is automated speed enforcement technology, which Level noted is currently prohibited by the Indiana General Assembly. Despite legislative hurdles, officials stress that delaying implementation could cost more lives.
Cyclist Carlos Lemus, who has had multiple close calls, supports the plan but hopes to see faster progress. “We could use more urgency,” he said. “The more we delay this process, the more people are going to die.”
The action plan opens for public comment on July 1, with a final vote expected this fall.
Source: Fox59.com, WTHR.com
