The First City of Kansas has long been committed to ending traffic deaths and serious injuries on our streets. The City of Leavenworth is beginning to seek public feedback on ways to reduce fatality and serious injury crashes through a new initiative called Vision Zero.

Vision Zero is a new approach to improving traffic safety, with the goal of eliminating all fatal and serious injury traffic crashes.

This global movement began in Sweden in the 1990s and is now endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. More than 50 U.S. communities have adopted the Vision Zero approach, and hundreds more are currently in the process of planning and making progress towards the Vision Zero goal.

To accomplish the goal of Vision Zero, the City of Leavenworth is creating the First City Vision Zero Action Plan.

This Action Plan is based on the Safe System Approach, and gathers broad community and stakeholder input to lay out actionable, measurable strategies, and emphasize design and policy solutions – designing complete streets and lowering speeds for safety.

This work is part of a grant-funded initiative. Once completed, the First City Vision Zero Action Plan could allow Leavenworth, Kansas, to become even more competitive when applying for federal and state grant dollars, for actions that support safety for vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles.

Many communities in the U.S. are working on Vision Zero planning and implementation efforts.

One national resource for this larger community of practice is the Vision Zero Network; a collaborative, nonprofit campaign helping communities set and reach the goal of Vision Zero — eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users — while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility.

Please join us in this commitment to safety for all First City residents.