Anne Arundel County Executive Adopts "Vision Zero Plan" To Make County Roads Safer
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Anne Arundel County is adopting a Vision Zero Plan, which is a data-driven strategy that aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Maryland's roadways, according to county officials.
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman signed the plan on Tuesday morning.
The Vision Zero Plan will bring together various agencies so that they can work toward the common goal of making roads safer, Sam Snead, the director of the Office of Transportation, county officials said.
Those agencies consist of Anne Arundel County's Office of Transportation, Department of Public Works, Office of Planning and Zoning, Police Department, Fire Department/Emergency Management Services, and Department of Health.
External partners on the committee include representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, City of Annapolis, Motor Vehicle Administration's Highways Safety Office, Maryland Transportation Authority, and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
Between 2016 and 2020 there were 234 deaths and 1,311 serious injuries in Anne Arundel County, county officials said.
Among the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland, Anne Arundel ranked third for fatalities and fifth for serious injuries from motor vehicle-related crashes, Anne Arundel County officials said.
"When it comes to saving lives, our administration brings every relevant agency, community, and state and federal partner to the table," Pittman said. "That's the effort our Office of Transportation has been tasked to lead with Vision Zero."
Over the past year and half the Vision Zero steering committee, through intense data analysis, has worked to identify the types of crashes that occur and then categorize them under what are known in the industry as the four "Es," according to county officials.
The "Es" stand for engineering, enforcement, engagement/education, and emergency services as well as two overarching "Es," equity and evaluation, county officials said.
Both the County's General Development Plan, Plan 2040, and the County's Transportation Master Plan, MoveAnneArundel!, called for the adoption of the Vision Zero Plan, according to county officials.