Vision Zero

Town of West Hartford Vision Zero Initiative

First implemented in Sweden, cities and towns across the United States are committing to Vision Zero.  Vision  Zero is premised on the fundamental principle that loss of life and serious injury from traffic crashes is unacceptable, yet acknowledges that while people make mistakes, the Town’s roadway network should be designed to ensure that those inevitable mistakes do not result in severe injuries or deaths.

On January 10, 2023, the Town of West Hartford Town Council unanimously adopted the Vision Zero Initiative in Support of Safe, Health and Equitable Mobility with the goal of eliminating fatalities and severe injuries on West Hartford streets by 2033.

The Town’s Vision Zero Initiative supports the following five principles:

• Deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic crashes are preventable;
• Human life and health should be prioritized in all transportation systems and in all aspects of transportation planning and design;
• Human error is inevitable and transportation systems should be forgiving;
• Transportation planning should focus on system-level changes to influence all individual’s behavior; and
• Speed is a highly important factor in crash severity

Vision Zero is bold, aspirational and reinforces that we need shifts in thinking, planning, prioritizing and taking action.  Our residents and visitors deserve to be safe as they move about Town, whether walking, bicycling, driving or taking public transit and our Vision Zero Initiative will play a pivotal role in achieving those safety goals.

On February 27, 2024 by way of the West Hartford Town Council's resolution approval, West Hartford became the first municipality in the State to adopt a Vision Zero Plan.  This Plan is the culmination of a large effort between Town staff, the Town's consultant team, residents, and task force volunteers to produce a wholistic, comprehensive safety plan to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes in Town.