STAND for Safer Streets Plan
Idea Category: 2025 Ideas Challenge, Improving Quality of Life
2025 Ideas Challenge Entry
Like many U.S. cities, this Mayor faced a surge in reckless driving following the COVID-19 pandemic. Crash rates reached crisis levels, prompting local leadership to launch a coordinated public safety strategy: the STAND for Safer Streets Plan. This plan combined large-scale traffic calming projects, community-driven street design, and a commitment to building 50 miles of protected bikeways by 2026.
The strategy focuses on proven, low-cost measures—such as curb extensions, speed humps, raised crosswalks, traffic circles, and road diets—designed to reduce speeding, prevent crashes, and save lives. Protected bikeways not only improve cyclist safety but also contribute to traffic calming across entire corridors.
Impact or how it will be measured:
In 2021, the city recorded over 19,500 crashes. That number dropped to around 17,500 in 2022 and to 16,600 in 2023—an indication that the city’s multi-pronged approach to addressing the issue is working. In 2024, traffic fatalities dropped 7% compared to the previous year.
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach:
- Crashes reduced by nearly 3,000 between 2021 and 2023 (from over 19,500 to 16,600).
- Traffic fatalities decreased by 7% in 2024 compared to the prior year.
- Speeds dropped by 26% in key corridors, with high-end speeding reduced by 46%.
- The city is on track to meet its goal of 50 miles of protected bikeways in development by 2026.
The combination of targeted investment, measurable performance metrics, and infrastructure improvements has created a model now being replicated in surrounding municipalities.
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