WHEREAS, The City of Asbury Park adopted Resolution 2015-358 establishing a Complete Streets Policy in, which mandated that all public streets be designed to safely accommodate travel by pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorized vehicles; and,

WHEREAS, traffic-related injuries disproportionately affect children, people of color, people with limited English proficiency, and senior citizens – many of whom regularly rely on non-motorized forms of transportation to move throughout the city; and,

WHEREAS, Vision Zero, a global phenomenon that began in Sweden in 1997, believes in five core principles:

• .          Cities can prevent traffic deaths;
• .          Human error is inevitable;
• .          Cities can prevent serious injuries;
• .          The entire system, not individual actors, is responsible for safety;
• .          Saving lives is not expensive; and,

WHEREAS, Vision Zero encourages cities to adopt achievable goals to prevent traffic related severe injuries and fatalities; and,

WHEREAS, cities across the United States, including New York City, Jersey City, and Hoboken have established Vision Zero campaigns establishing the goal of eliminate traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities; and,

WHEREAS, successful implementation of a Vision Zero campaign will require coordinated cooperation between various City departments and community organizations, including the city’s Department of Transportation, Police Department, Department of Public Works, and the Board of Education, and,

WHEREAS, the primary implementation tool for interdepartmental and community coordination is the development of an action plan and a Vision Zero Task Force; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Mayor and Municipal Council adopts the City of Asbury Park Vision Zero Policy with the goal of eliminating traffic related fatalities and serious injuries by the year 2040; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in coordination with this policy, the city of Asbury Park will develop a Traffic Safety Action Plan and establish a Vision Zero Task Force consisting of members of city staff and local advocates and residents designated by the Asbury Park City Council who meet quarterly to oversee the action plan’s development and implementation in order to reach the aforementioned goal.