Fort Pierce adopts Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to pursue ‘Vision 0’ for traffic fatalities

The Fort Pierce City Commission unanimously adopted a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) on Sept. 15 aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries through data-driven policies, low-cost countermeasures and interagency coordination.

"The goal is to eliminate or reduce fatal and serious injuries on our transportation systems," said Miss Griffin, the city staff member who presented the CSAP, noting the plan was developed with consultant Kimley‑Horn and funded by a $240,000 U.S. Department of Transportation SS4A grant awarded to the city in January 2023. The adoption authorizes the city to submit the plan to USDOT and to proceed with implementation steps outlined in the report.

Why it matters: The CSAP organizes crash data, policy recommendations and project lists into an implementation roadmap intended to guide capital projects, speed-management policy, enforcement priorities, and public education. The plan identifies a high-injury network and 20 project recommendations across jurisdictional owners (FDOT, St. Lucie County, City of Fort Pierce) and calls for a Vision 0/Target 0 task force to coordinate actions and measure outcomes.

Key points from the presentation and discussion: - The city used five years of crash data (2018–2023) to map a high-injury network and prioritize measures that often are low-cost but widely used (FHWA proven safety countermeasures). Miss Griffin said the plan will be published as an interactive website and updated annually. - Policy recommendations in the CSAP include forming a Vision 0/Target 0 task force; adopting a comprehensive speed-management policy; designing streets for safety; updating the comprehensive plan to incorporate traffic-safety objectives; and publishing an annual safety report to track progress. - Project recommendations identify 20 priority locations; staff said seven are FDOT-owned, three are St. Lucie County-owned, five are city-owned and five are under interlocal agreements. City-owned corridors flagged for attention include 13th Street, Avenue D, Seaway Drive, Georgia Avenue and 17th Street. - The CSAP recommends low-cost countermeasures (updated striping, improved crosswalks, sign replacement, ADA ramp improvements), targeted enforcement, community marketing campaigns and post-crash care enhancements.

Commissioners asked how the CSAP would interact with projects already underway (Indian River Drive, Avenue D, 13th Street). Miss Griffin said some projects already designed may not be able to incorporate all measures immediately, but many recommended countermeasures are low-cost and can be considered in future construction and maintenance. Mayor Linda Hudson said she welcomed improved striping and other immediate measures: "I like the striping, the improved striping, especially..." (Mayor Linda Hudson).

Commissioner comments noted the value of involving the St. Lucie County School District and the school-bus operations in speed-management conversations; a city official confirmed the school system participant had been involved in earlier work on the plan.

What’s next: The resolution directs staff to submit the CSAP to USDOT, publish an interactive public map and form a Vision 0 task force that will include city staff, regional partners and community members. Staff indicated an annual safety report and a public-facing website or GIS tab will track implementation.

The commission approved Resolution 25‑R‑69 to adopt the CSAP and authorize submission to USDOT; the vote was recorded unanimously.