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About ROC Vision Zero
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all.
Vision Zero differs from other approaches in two key aspects:
- Acknowledging that human error is inevitable, Vision Zero advocates for road system designs and policies that minimize the chances of such errors leading to severe outcomes. This entails improving roadway environments, implementing speed management policies, and enhancing related systems to reduce crash severity.
- Vision Zero takes a multidisciplinary approach, involving various stakeholders to tackle this complex issue. It addresses multiple factors influencing safe mobility, such as roadway design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies.
City of Rochester
ROC Vision Zero
Zero traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries is an ambitious goal, but it is one that we are determined to pursue through a targeted approach focused on design, promotion, accountability and evaluation.
However, the most important part of the plan is you. Let’s work together to achieve our goal to create a safer, more sustainable Rochester. No matter how you get around, you are a critical part of the success of ROC Vision Zero.
ROC Vision Zero priority actions
- ROC Vision Zero Task Force: Create a diverse committee of City departments and external stakeholders to advise work on street design, traffic safety, and potential funding opportunities.
- Traffic Safety Education Campaign: Develop a data-driven education and outreach campaign leveraging national, state, and local resources which will focus on engaging and informing individuals whose behaviors contribute to crashes.
- Safe Speed City Initiative: Implementing 25 MPH: Lower speeds to reduce instances of serious and fatal crashes.
- Pedestrian Priority Zones: Work with county and state partners to use street design and traffic calming methods and funds to lower speed and improve safety in critical pedestrian areas.
- Safe Crossings City Initiative: In coordination with county partners, establish updated crosswalk spacing standards for signalized and non-signalized intersections, bus stops, and side streets, with establishment of criteria for strategic utilization of raised crosswalks, tabled intersections and mid-block crossings.
- Bicycle Network: Continue work establishing Rochester as a bicycle city, including continued implementation of a 63-mile inclusive bicycle spine network, with 19 miles already in place, and continued buildout of bicycle boulevards.
- Winter Safe Streets: Enhance sidewalk and bus shelter snow removal. Reinforce resident and property owner snow removal regulations and engage contractors and volunteers for City-owned properties. Assess options for snow removal on bicycle lanes, trails and cycle tracks.
- Automated Traffic Enforcement: Review options related to automating speed reduction tactics. Lower speeds reduce serious crashes and save lives.
- Lake Avenue Enhanced / High-Injury Network Focus: Advancing Multi-Modal Safety: Review funding sources and seek community input on implementing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor from the Inner Loop to north of West Ridge Road/NYS Route 104. This initiative would reduce fatalities and injuries, improve public transportation options with enhanced pedestrian, and bicycle facilities. Beyond Lake Avenue, hyper-focus on crash mitigation on other critical corridors with the highest rates of severe traffic injuries or fatalities.
- ROC Vision Zero Report: Issue a comprehensive report featuring key outcome-based metrics including ongoing work by partners and the City.
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In the news
- Vision Zero: How can we reduce injuries and deaths on Rochester's streets? (WXXI, Feb. 2025)
- Can Vision Zero reduce deaths and injuries on Rochester streets? (Rochester Beacon, Feb. 2025)
- Rochester considering traffic program implemented in Europe to improve pedestrian, motorist safety (Democrat & Chronicle, Jan. 2025)
- Rochester to become a version Zero City to improve roadway safety (City of Rochester, June 2025)