August 2020 – The Vision Zero Progress Report (2018–2020) highlights the great strides our community has taken over the last two years towards reducing traffic injury and deaths. The report recognizes specific projects and programs that show data-backed success at improving safety, and others that have influenced behavior where the number of lives saved may never be known. These positive steps forward must continue and we must initiate additional efforts if we are to no longer be overwhelmed with heartbreaking stories of lives lost and crash rates that continue to be among the highest in the country.
There is an opportunity for us to take our collaborative work for community safety to the next level by strengthening partnerships with other local agencies. The Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization and Vision Zero Hillsborough will host a virtual Vision Zero Leadership Summit on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. The free summit will feature moderators, panelists, and elected officials from the Planning Commission, Hillsborough County Government, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, and Hillsborough County Public Schools. Experts will lead three panels and focus on the topics of land use and design, high visibility enforcement, and communications and engagement. Discussion will take place about how to avoid making decisions that require costly fixes later, best uses of law enforcement resources to deter the most dangerous traffic behaviors, and engaging the community and businesses to become champions for safe streets.
