HomeMy WebLinkAbout1358 - A RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING THE CITY OF BOULDER’S COMMITMENT TO VISION ZERO; AND SETTING FORTH RELATED DETAILSRESOLUTION 1358
A RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING THE CITY OF BOULDER’S
COMMITMENT TO VISION ZERO; AND SETTING FORTH RELATED DETAILS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO HEREBY
FINDS AND RECITES THAT:
A.The City of Boulder has demonstrated a legacy of leadership to reduce incidences of
death and serious injury resulting from crashes on city streets, first adopting a Vision
Zero policy in 2014 to eliminate severe crashes by 2030, and implementing traffic safety
measures since the 1990s when photo enforcement was first introduced.
B.Since that time, the city has been at the forefront of innovation in traffic safety by:
1.making continuous safety improvements to its system of on- and off-street
transportation choices;
2.regularly analyzing and reporting on Vision Zero metrics;
3.centering the safety of vulnerable road users and a proactive approach to reducing risk;
4.focusing data-driven efforts to improve the system through multiple editions of a
Vision Zero Action Plan including the designation of a High Risk Network;
5.lowering the default speed limit on local, residential streets to 20 mph;
6.using a context-sensitive approach to setting speed limits on our busiest arterial and
collector streets;
7.employing automated enforcement tools;
8.systematically implementing state-of-the-art signal phasing practices;
9.accelerating work on the Core Arterial Network (CAN) to implement safety measures
in tandem with connectivity improvements;
10.securing an unprecedented $23 Million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
grant in 2023;
11.collaborating with the Boulder community and regional agencies through the Vision Zero
Community Partnership since 2017; and
12.making safe streets a priority in the 2024-2026 City of Boulder Citywide Strategic
Plan.
C.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that unintentional motor vehicle
fatality continues to be one of the two top leading causes of death among all age groups.1
1 CDC 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
D. Although Boulder has taken major steps to improve safety and is a leader on this issue
among U.S. towns, and incidences of serious and fatal crashes (severe crashes) have
remained steady in Boulder over the last decade, people walking and bicycling, our most
vulnerable road users, are disproportionately represented and disproportionately likely to
suffer severe injury outcomes.2
E. Statewide trends in Colorado are worsening, with a record-setting 136 people killed by
drivers while walking or crossing the street in Colorado in 2023, which is up 77% since
2018 and more than 160% in the last 10 years.3
F. Twenty-two crashes on Boulder streets this year resulted in life-changing injuries and
three deaths, with one additional death on a state highway just outside city limits and
another death on private property, as of November 2024.4
G. Severe crashes are unacceptable and preventable; when crashes do happen they should
not result in death or life-changing injury.
H. Common contributing factors to severe crash outcomes on streets are higher speeds of
vehicles, a factor that is exponentially more lethal above 20 MPH, as well as higher
vehicle weights and hood heights, which have been steadily trending upwards since the
1990s—especially in instances involving pedestrians and cyclists.
I. Street designs that foster slower speeds and calmer driving behavior are known to reduce
the risk of severe crash outcomes and discourage or prevent illegal driving, such as street
racing, disobeying traffic controls and regulations, and failing to exercise due care.5
J. A common contributor to higher number of severe crashes per capita is residents’ vehicle
miles traveled (VMT), which continue to grow in the Boulder Valley.6
K. The Safe System Approach to traffic safety is an holistic approach with multiple layers of
protection at work.7
2 Vision Zero Boulder: Safe Streets Report, 4th Edition, 2022.
https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/7841/download?inline=
3 Denver Post 2024. https://www.denverpost.com/2024/10/01/colorado-pedestrian-deaths-record-161-percent-
increase-state-patrol
4 https://boulder.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6aa7ff1a0a0a442abeaa24cf141d6ebf
5 https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SaferSpeeds
6 Boulder Valley Modal Shift Report 2023. https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/transportation-data-and-
maps#:~:text=Modal%20Shift%20Report%20%7C%20Boulder%20Valley%20Resident%20Travel%20Study
7 https://highways.dot.gov/safety/zero-deaths
L. Streets that are safe and comfortable for all ages and abilities of pedestrians, people using
mobility-assistive devices, cyclists, and others traveling outside conventional motor
vehicles are a necessary policy consideration to make travel affordable and to enable
independence for our whole community.
M. The city seeks to advance the safety of all people within its jurisdiction;
NOW THEREFORE, BASED ON THE FINDINGS MADE IN THIS RESOLUTION,
ABOVE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOULDER,
COLORADO, THAT:
The City of Boulder hereby reaffirms its commitment to Vision Zero and resolves to the
following:
1. Promote the inclusion of safety, as well as accessibility and connectivity enabled by
safety, in our city’s public policy development and planning that influences transportation
outcomes;
2. Acknowledge that vehicle speed, vehicle size, and exposure to vehicles are key drivers of
risk, and that a holistic approach in planning is needed so that multiple layers of
protection are at work;
3. Support existing and ongoing efforts to advance evidence-based, outcome-driven
approaches to systemically and strategically make our streets safer, consistent with
modern professional practices, including those which:
a. design and implement safe streets treatments, including for the Core Arterial
Network (CAN) and Vision Zero initiatives, as well as other safety-focused
projects and corridor-level efforts that are in the city’s existing work plan, while
streamlining and innovating with community engagement and project design
development processes towards the goal of expediting treatments and maximizing
available resources where possible; and
b. implement automated enforcement along streets identified in the city’s Resolution
1342 as quickly as possible; and
c. explore the use of state and local revenues from automated enforcement for use
towards Vision Zero safety measures, emphasizing vulnerable road users, at the
local level; and
d. continue efforts to restore and improve service for public transit which may
reduce overall exposure to crashes; and
e. develop strategies and measures to realize 15-minute neighborhoods which are
summarized in the 2024-26 City of Boulder Citywide Strategic Plan; and
f.seek long-term revenue sources and financial strategies to provide sustainable
funding mechanisms to enhance and maintain safety improvements within the
transportation system; and
g.advocate for increased traffic safety through all practicable measures at the state
house and federally;
h. continue to be creative towards strategies for innovation, transformation, and
leadership of the field; and
4. Strive to reflect in the city’s public policy development and planning, such as the update
to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, an understanding that higher traffic speeds as
well as heavier and larger vehicles are key contributors to severe crash outcomes, and
that mitigating those elements while reducing people’s exposure to them is the most
widely accepted, evidence-based treatment;
5. Continue to support the city’s work to methodically realize our goals of zero deaths and
serious injuries on city streets with Vision Zero, which utilizes measures beyond
traditional engineering, education, and enforcement, and is proactive about incorporating
the latest understanding into approaches;
6.Seek to work collectively and collaboratively with other jurisdictions and agencies to
advance evidence-based safety measures; and
7.Send a copy of this resolution to the city’s state and congressional delegation.
APPROVED this 19 day of December, 2024.
Aaron Brockett
Mayor
ATTEST:
Elesha Johnson
City Clerk