Community Invited to Participate in New Online Survey, Safe Streets Arlington Public Meeting Sept. 19, 2024

By Susan Schrock, Office of Communications

Posted on September 12, 2024, September 12, 2024

The City of Arlington covers nearly 100 square miles, but 70% of all fatal and severe crashes happening here occur on just 6% of the vast roadway network. Fatal and severe crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians are even more concentrated, with half occurring on just 1.5% of the City’s roadway network.

Arlington streets and sidewalks can be safer, but it will take the community’s support. By emphasizing safer driver, bicyclist, and pedestrian behaviors and making strategic improvements to street infrastructure, in addition to education and engagement, Arlington is working with residents to develop a transportation safety action plan that aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 5% annually. Through a data-driven and comprehensive approach, the plan’s ultimate goal is to achieve zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050 through the creation of a safer system for all roadway users.

Safe Streets Arlington is being led by the City’s Transportation Department, with assistance from Police, Public Works and other city departments. Arlington was among 474 communities that received an action planning grant in the first round of Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Arlington community is invited to participate in new online survey and/or attend a third and final public meeting to provide valuable feedback to the plan. The meeting, open to all roadway users, is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library.

Click here to take the survey.

 Results from a resident survey conducted earlier this year showed:

•  Strong support for stronger enforcement of laws, slowing speeds through road design and speed limit setting, and consistent and coordinated outreach on the importance of transportation safety.
•  The biggest challenge related to transportation safety is unsafe driving behaviors.
•  Investment should be prioritized on enforcing existing laws, increasing public transportation options, and maintaining streets and sidewalks.

 Feedback from the public meeting held in May 2024 showed positive feedback on these proposed traffic safety countermeasures and strategies to improve safety for all roadway users:

•  Bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements such as pedestrian refuge islands, road reconfigurations, and pedestrian hybrid beacons.
•  Road safety audits, roundabouts, and backplates with retroflective borders.
•  Making fatal and serious injury crash reductions part of prioritization criteria for all transportation projects in the City budget.
•  Incorporating safety considerations and multimodal amenities in new development plans.
•  Developing a traffic calming policy and toolkit.
•  Updating existing City documents to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements.
•  Providing Spanish and Vietnamese content for all public facing materials.

 Click here to the visit the Safe Streets Arlington website. There, residents are also invited to explore the City’s Interactive Safety Dashboard, which shows crash trends and locations in Arlington using data between 2018 and 2022.