About Vision Zero Minneapolis

Minneapolis is one of more than 35 Vision Zero cities in the United States. You can learn about Vision Zero efforts around the country from the Vision Zero Network

Why Vision Zero

Traveling on our streets is safer compared to other large cities around the country. Still, vehicle and pedestrian crashes have increased in the last several years. 2016 and 2017 saw the highest number of people killed or injured on our streets since 2007. This has lessened past progress in making Minneapolis streets safer. 

To address these challenges, the City joined the Vision Zero movement for safe streets. Minneapolis is one of more than 35 Vision Zero cities in the United States. Vision Zero allows us to take a new systemic approach.

To improve traffic safety, Vision Zero coordinates efforts across the following

• Engineering
• Public safety
• Health
• Community outreach

How Vision Zero is different

People often see traffic deaths and severe injuries as unpreventable accidents or the result of individual mistakes.

Vision Zero says that traffic deaths and severe injuries are unacceptable and preventable. Humans will make mistakes, but we need to design safe systems so a person's mistake does not lead to death or severe injuries.

What Vision Zero means for Minneapolis

Everyone deserves to safely move around our city.

This includes people from 

• All neighborhoods
• Means of transportation
• Ages
• Backgrounds

The Vision Zero Action Plan is a bold step forward towards a safer future.

A future where everyone can move

• Safely
• Efficiently
• Equitably through our streets and neighborhoods

To reach our goals, we'll need to change the status quo. This means addressing structural inequities and protecting human life in our transportation system.

Our goal and commitment

Our goal is zero traffic deaths in ten years

Vision Zero is an international movement for safe streets. The City of Minneapolis has joined the national Vision Zero movement to end deaths and severe injuries on our streets. Each year, about 166 people die or suffer from severe injuries in traffic crashes on Minneapolis streets (Average from 2016 to 2019). That is unacceptable and preventable.

Minneapolis City Council adopted a Vision Zero Resolution on September 20, 2017. It commits to the goal of zero traffic deaths and severe injuries on City streets by 2027.

A letter from Mayor Frey and Council President Bender

How we'll reach our ambitious goal

We're working with people from across our community (See Vision Zero Partners) to put an Action Plan in place. The Action Plan outlines ways to make our transportation network safe for everyone.

Protecting human life is our top priority. Safety informs all decisions about the way our streets look, feel, and operate.

Our commitment

Achieving the goal of safe streets for everyone will require a lot of effort and resources.

We commit to do the following:

• Focus on equity and engagement in our Vision Zero work 
• Use data and best practices
• Report regularly on our progress toward Vision Zero

Guiding principles

These four principles guide the Vision Zero Action Plan. 

Safety and human life first

The loss of human life in traffic deaths on our streets is unacceptable. We're committed to ending death and life-altering injuries on our streets.  One death on our streets is one too many. We'll work with urgency to put Vision Zero into action. 

Equity

We acknowledge and work to end disparities in traffic crashes

• Racial
• Economic
• Other disparities

We're working to deliver fair and just opportunities and outcomes for all people.

Data-driven

We developed Vision Zero strategies and actions from

• Relevant data
• Recognized best practices
• Community experiences and input

We're working to improve the data we have and recognize its gaps.

Accountability

We commit to the following

• Set clear objectives and report on them regularly.
• Be transparent.
• Include meaningful and diverse community engagement that helps guide actions.
• Collaborate with community and agency partners to embrace, develop, and put Vision Zero into action.
• Adapt our approach as needed in the future.

See the guiding principles document for more details and original language as used in the plan.

Read guiding principles document