City of Houston Commits to Vision Zero

Today we extend congratulations to our partner, Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City of Houston, on their commitment to Vision Zero. Mayor Turner signed the Executive Order at 11:30 CDT today. It is no small feat to reach Vision Zero, and the city’s pledge to eliminate traffic related deaths and injuries by 2030 is an outstanding example to other cities that with the right partners, executives and infrastructure, the vision can be reached. 

“This is the beginning of a new chapter in Houston and a signal moment for the Vision Zero movement,” said Noah Budnick, Senior Director of Programs and Operations at Together for Safer Roads. “We are ready to build on the work we’ve begun with Mayor Turner, our members and community partners and show new paths in the essential work to end traffic fatalities and serious injuries.”

Mayor Turner signs #VisionZero executive order with a goal to #EndTrafficDeaths in #Houston by 2030. This requires collaboration & leadership to develop a comprehensive & holistic strategy. https://t.co/O0YdL4Mev8

— City of Houston (@HoustonTX) August 13, 2019

TSR currently works with the City of Houston, member businesses and community partners on the Houston Safer Streets Phase 1 project. Launched in April this year, the initiative focuses on improving safety for all road users – pedestrians, bus riders, bicyclists and drivers – in the Gulfton neighborhood, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable.

TSR member companies also offered their congratulations and insight on this innovative step by the City of Houston:

At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to improving safety in the communities where our colleagues, families, and consumers all share the same roads, including here in Houston,” said Cesar Vargas, Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Anheuser-Busch. “We are proud to support Houston Vision Zero commitment because we believe passionately in partnerships that can help change behaviors and make a real difference in saving lives.”

“We believe any traffic death is one too many and we are committed to working with Mayor Turner and other partners to create streets that are safe for all residents,” said Anne Whitlock, founding director of Connect Community. “We envision a future where drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can safely share roadways, even in a neighborhood as densely populated as Gulfton.”

“Brisk Synergies is pleased to be working with Vision Zero cities like Houston to help them quickly understand the most dangerous parts of their roadways,” said Charles Chung, CEO of Brisk Synergies. “We hope to help Houston develop a safe systems approach to overall road safety and improved mobility one intersection at a time.”

“The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is excited that the community-based street safety research we conducted alongside our great partners has helped support the City’s decision to embrace vision zero. The Institute looks forward to continued collaboration as we collectively work to make our streets safer for all users,” said Kyle Shelton, Deputy Director of the Kinder Institute. 

“There is nothing more important to us than safety – the safety of our employees and the communities we serve,” said Jim Olson, senior vice president of safety at Republic Services. “We believe the Vision Zero initiative will help significantly reduce serious incidents and fatalities throughout Houston and the surrounding areas, helping make Houston as safe as possible for drivers and pedestrians. We commend the Mayor and his office for championing this forward-thinking initiative.”

“Our mission is to affect positive change in cities through transportation,” said  Carter Stern, Lyft Policy Manager. “We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Houston to reach its Vision Zero goal of ending traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030, by reducing impaired driving and implementing the right solutions for safe streets.”