Time for Feds, States to Get Serious About Speed Management (or, at least, step out of the way of progress)
Services
Addressing not only what is possible, but also what is necessary, Lehigh Township Vision Zero is a new dimension of road safety that focuses on injury prevention ,pushing towards a safer future.
Lehigh Township Short Term Vision Zero Strategy
Lehigh Township Vision Zero initiative is looking forward to implementing education, environmental changes and enforcement strategies to make a positive impact in behavior while driving to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities within Lehigh Township. This will be achieved by conducting the initiatives outlined in the action plan through the Vision Zero Taskforce partnerships with other township departments, coroners office, and community based organizations, the Lehigh valley planning commission and PennDOT.
Lehigh Township will continue to collect data ,analyze crash data and determine high crash corridors. PennDOTs crash data tool and TRACs will both be used to track, map, and analyze crash data. These corridors will then be analyzed and solutions for improvement will be developed.
Education will be a key component for all initiatives. Enforcement will be requested as needed to ensure compliance to the safety changes and focus on behaviors that endanger all of our roadway users. Lehigh Township will work with partners to reach people of all ages and abilities through education programs and Vision Zero Initiatives.
Lehigh township will reduce serious and fatal crashes by working towards our 2039 goal. Lehigh township will address the issues in the following three categories.
Lehigh Township will continue to collect data ,analyze crash data and determine high crash corridors. PennDOTs crash data tool and TRACs will both be used to track, map, and analyze crash data. These corridors will then be analyzed and solutions for improvement will be developed.
Education will be a key component for all initiatives. Enforcement will be requested as needed to ensure compliance to the safety changes and focus on behaviors that endanger all of our roadway users. Lehigh Township will work with partners to reach people of all ages and abilities through education programs and Vision Zero Initiatives.
Lehigh township will reduce serious and fatal crashes by working towards our 2039 goal. Lehigh township will address the issues in the following three categories.
- Environmental improvements through street design
- Education and public engagement
- Enforcement.
Street Design |
Streets can be re-engineered to prevent dangerous driving and encourage multi modal usage, it paves a practical way towards creating a city where crashes are preventable and deaths and serious injuries can be eliminated.
Education and Public Engagement.
Enforcement
More vigorous law enforcement against dangerous driving behavior holds great potential to affect a rapid drop in traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Analysis of the past five years of traffic fatalities shows that 70% of pedestrian fatalities have causes outside of the pedestrian’s control, particularly drivers speeding or failing to yield. The injuries and deaths from these actions are preventable. Lehigh Township police targeted enforcement against signal violations, improper turns, failure to yield to pedestrians, phoning/texting while driving and speeding, therefore, has the potential to reduce the frequency of these behaviors and save lives. Stronger enforcement saves lives, reduces injuries and collisions and ensures safety for everyone on the street.
Lehigh Township Long-Term Vision Zero Strategy
Lehigh Township will look towards zero crashes and injuries in the township through a combination of completing short-term and long-term goals. The short term goals listed in the aforementioned section and in the action plans are achievable over a 5 year period. The following long-term goals will take much longer to achieve but will have a much greater impact on our community.
Lehigh township realizes that changing behavior for residents and visitors who share the roadway will take time. Lehigh township will continue to focus efforts long-term on enforcement, education, and environmental improvements through street design but take a more systems approach long-term. The long-term areas of focus will include:
Lehigh township realizes that changing behavior for residents and visitors who share the roadway will take time. Lehigh township will continue to focus efforts long-term on enforcement, education, and environmental improvements through street design but take a more systems approach long-term. The long-term areas of focus will include:
- Secure funding and approvals for major roadway improvement design at the Gap
- Capture and track better data
- Secure approval to conduct a pilot of lengthening the center line ramble strips
- involve magisterial district judges in the planning of education and enforcement programs.
Evaluation
On a yearly basis a report will be generated on vision zeros accomplishments ,track trends and announce the efforts for the upcoming year.