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Council adopts 2025 Vision Zero safety action plan and pursues regional SS4A grant application
Summary
The council adopted the 2025 Safety Action Plan supporting Newport’s Vision Zero pledge; the plan identifies priority corridors, 43 actions across policy and design, and the city will pursue regional USDOT SS4A grant funding with neighboring towns.
The Newport City Council voted to adopt the city’s 2025 Safety Action Plan, a data-driven implementation document intended to advance the previously adopted Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Shauna Kitzman of Toole Design presented the plan, describing crash-data analysis, community engagement and priority corridors for safety work. The plan uses five years of Rhode Island Department of Transportation crash data and identifies Broadway, Memorial Boulevard, America’s Cup Avenue, Bellevue Avenue, Thames Street and Toro Street as priority corridors. "The safety action plan is a technical and strategic document that outlines specific and data driven actions to improve roadway safety," Kitzman told the council.
The plan contains four strategies supported by 43 actions covering policy, process, roadway design, enforcement and community education. The presenter said the plan was funded through USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding routed through RIDOT/RIPDA; the presenter noted roughly $5,000,000 in federal funding to support planning activities statewide through that program.
Councilors expressed support for the plan and the collaborative process used to develop it, including engagement with Bike Newport and neighboring municipalities. Officials said the plan will support competitive grant applications for implementation; staff and consultants reported they are preparing a regional SS4A grant application that would cover local and state-owned roadways and seek funds for implementation, supplemental planning and demonstration projects.
Action taken: The council moved, seconded and approved adoption/acceptance of the 2025 Safety Action Plan (Vision Zero). The council also accepted the communication and the city will pursue grant opportunities and begin short-term actions identified in the plan.
The plan lists responsible parties and benchmarks; councilors said they will seek public outreach materials and shareable assets for school districts and community groups. The city administration indicated follow-up on grant applications and implementation steps.
