Mayor Lori Blong announced a new initiative known as the Vision Zero Safety Action Plan, which aims to enhance road safety in Midland. A collaborative effort between the City and County, the plan will analyze high-accident corridors to determine improvements needed to benefit both drivers and pedestrians.
Vision Zero is a strategy endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and aims to create safer road systems that eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries by 2025 while promoting equitable mobility for all community members, according to Mayor Blong’s newsletter.
A Safety Task Force has been established for the project where members will gather feedback from the community on safety concerns to ensure improvements are tailored to Midland needs. Members are from partnering organizations involved in the plan's development, including Midland Memorial Hospital, United Way, Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Midland Development Corp, according to the newsletter.
The Safety Task Force is set to complete the plan by May 2024.
Over the past four years, Midland has witnessed over 15,000 documented crashes, resulting in nearly 5,000 injuries and 64 fatalities. Just 4% of the city's roads have accounted for more than half of all accidents, pedestrian and bike accidents, and fatalities. With the city's continued growth, the implementation of the Safety Action Plan aims to address both present and future safety needs, according to Mayor Blong’s newsletter.