Over the past ten years, Austin has pursued an ambitious effort to eliminate traffic-related deaths and injuries through its Vision Zero initiative. Adopted in 2015, the program focuses on engineering, enforcement, and education to improve roadway safety.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), no day has passed without a traffic fatality on Texas roads since November 7, 2000. Statewide, traffic deaths remain a daily occurrence, with state-managed roads accounting for a majority of fatal crashes in urban areas like Austin.
The City of Austin’s Vision Zero 10-Year Report outlines over $1.3 billion in safety and mobility investments since the initiative began. These investments, funded through voter-approved bonds, have supported infrastructure projects such as:
- Intersection redesigns
- Pedestrian and bicycle facilities
- Sidewalk upgrades
- Safe Routes to School treatments
As of 2024, Austin reports a significant drop in serious injuries and now holds the lowest per-capita rate of serious traffic injuries among Texas’ six largest cities…