Clemmons Council unanimously adopts Safe Streets for All safety action plan

The Village of Clemmons Council on June 23 adopted the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan, a data‑driven strategy aimed at reducing fatal and serious traffic crashes in the village.

The plan, presented by a consultant from Kittelson & Associates, lays out a “safe system” approach that combines engineering, enforcement, education and post‑crash care and identifies a high‑injury network of locations where severe crashes are concentrated. The council’s Vision Zero task force voted unanimously before the meeting to recommend adoption.

Liz Kittelson, the consultant, said the plan focused on “those crashes that are most impactful to people's lives” and emphasized targeted projects rather than simply counting total crashes. “Throughout this process, we developed vision and goals,” she told council members, noting work on a high‑injury network and an emphasis on younger and older drivers, lane departures and pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

The plan describes a range of countermeasures from lower‑cost, maintenance‑level items such as signage and posted speed reviews to larger capital projects that would likely require NCDOT collaboration or grant funding. Kittelson said the project list was developed to be flexible so the village could pursue lower‑effort changes first and larger infrastructure projects later.

A council member asked that the action plan include “a clear by‑project specific prioritization of both tier 1 and tier 2 actions,” noting that some recommendations — such as limiting right turns at certain intersections or removing drive‑throughs — could have significant effects on traffic and businesses and therefore need careful analysis. The presenter and village staff agreed to deliver a prioritized project list with additional detail by the end of the week.

Planner Doug (introduced at the meeting) told the council the Vision Zero task force that recommended the plan included representatives from the N.C. Department of Transportation, the regional MPO and other stakeholders. After discussion, a council member moved to adopt the plan "as presented," a second was made and the motion carried unanimously.

Council members and staff said they expect to pair the plan’s infrastructure recommendations with education and targeted enforcement as funding and NCDOT coordination allow. The council did not adopt any specific capital projects at the meeting; it adopted the action plan document itself and directed staff to provide the prioritized project detail requested by council members.

The adoption advances local planning consistent with the village’s previously approved master transportation and forthcoming ADA transition plans; staff said they are preparing grant applications and other steps to fund implementation.