JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville unveiled its Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP) on Thursday to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce serious injuries by half by 2035.
The conference was held at city hall where Mayor Donna Deegan and Matt Fall, the Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator of the City of Jacksonville, spoke about the plan.
Phil Perry, the Chief of Communications, said that for many years, Jacksonville has ranked among the top cities in the country that have the most pedestrian accidents.
Between 2018 and 2023, Jacksonville saw over 100,000 crashes. Over 900 were fatalities, and more than 2,000 were serious injuries, with many involving pedestrians and cyclists.
Deegan said the city is joining over 2,000 communities nationwide that have the same target of zero traffic deaths.
“Vision Zero promises a safer Jacksonville for every person in the neighborhood, no matter how they travel,” Deegan said. “Behind every crash is a story, a parent, a child, a neighbor.”
Deegan referenced the May death of Mitchell Patch, a beloved math coach at Bayview Elementary, and his one-year-old Everett, who were tragically killed while crossing a road.
The Florida Department of Transportation conducted a study in that area and recommended a specialized crosswalk and island to reduce tragedies like that.
“Our Vision Zero Action Plan targets high crash corridors, aiming to reduce speeds, improve lighting and crossings, and implement calming measures,” Deegan said. “It includes expanded school safety programs, a public dashboard to track progress and partnerships with FDOT, law enforcement and other key agencies...”
Fall said that their approach to developing the plan is rooted in data.
“We analyzed crash data from 2018 to 2023 to identify where the severe and deadly incidents were occurring,” Fall said. “This allowed us to take a focused, data-driven approach that limited resources are directed to the locations where safety improvements will have the greatest impact.”
He also said that the United States Department of Transportation awarded Jacksonville $350,000 to develop the plan and an additional $1.2 million for quick-build safety projects.
Click here for more information about VZAP.
