Will County board defers ‘Vision Zero’ resolution after members seek more detail

The Will County Board on April 17 debated a resolution (filed as item 25‑96) endorsing Vision Zero — an aim to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries — and directing staff to pursue a countywide safety action plan but ultimately voted to send the measure back to the Public Works & Transportation Committee for further work.

Supporters said the resolution would help the county assemble data and pursue grant funding to improve roadway, education and enforcement efforts. “The whole idea of creating the safety action plan is to be able to go after additional funding through either the state or the federal government,” said Eric Wessel, director of the county Division of Transportation, who described the measure as a framework for identifying projects and grant opportunities.

Opponents and some cautious members said they needed more information on likely costs, the plan’s timeline and what the county would be required to fund. County Board member Rich Peltier asked whether the county had estimated the cost and how funding would be split among local, state and federal sources. Wessel said the county is still assembling the safety action plan with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and that specific costs have not been calculated because the plan will include a wide range of projects from low‑cost education efforts to major intersection redesigns.

Several board members urged staff to produce clearer documentation and project lists before a full board vote. Member Oxley, who chairs or sits on related committees, said the technical work is already part of transportation staff responsibilities but acknowledged members’ concerns about transparency and budget impacts.

The board voted 14‑in‑favor to refer the Vision Zero resolution back to the Public Works & Transportation Committee for more detail and for staff to return with cost estimates, a draft safety action plan timeline and a clearer list of expected grant opportunities.

Members repeatedly noted the proposal is aspirational — “0 is the ultimate goal,” one member said — but emphasized the need to balance ambition with clear, project‑level costs and funding strategies.

The referral means no formal countywide Vision Zero designation or new spending was approved at the April 17 meeting; the committee will revisit the measure and supporting documents in the weeks ahead.