County presents Vision Zero draft: Safe Streets & Roads for All action plan

Alachua County transportation planners presented a draft Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan on Oct. 28, outlining a "safe systems" or Vision Zero approach aimed at eliminating severe and fatal crashes.

Allison Moss, transportation planning manager, said the plan focuses on a combination of safer roads, lower speeds, separated facilities for vulnerable users and improved post-crash response. The project team developed "high-injury networks" by mode (vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian and motorcycle) to prioritize interventions and improve grant competitiveness. Moss told the board that the county's analysis captures roughly 70—73 percent of severe and fatal crashes within the high-injury network and that many high-severity crashes on county roads are rural lane-departure incidents.

The plan recommends both systemic treatments (rumble strips, shoulder widening, safety-edge paving) and targeted intersection changes (protected left-turn phasing, signal backplates, adjusted yellow/red timing and, where appropriate, pedestrian hybrid beacons). Moss said the project team has coordinated with FDOT and MTPO and will refine a prioritization and dashboard for public access; staff expect a final action plan in early 2026 with an April 2026 grant timeline for some federal funds.

Commissioners and staff discussed how state-maintained roadways will be integrated into the plan and how repaving schedules and safety priorities can be aligned.

What happens next: staff will gather additional input, refine project prioritization and publish a draft action plan and dashboard for public review; many countermeasures will be pursued through grant applications and coordination with FDOT and local jurisdictions.

Sources: Presentation by Allison Moss, Transportation Planning Manager, Oct. 28 Alachua County Board of County Commissioners meeting.