Keck & Wood project manager Clay Smith and lead traffic engineer Alex Simmons presented Villa Rica’s draft Safety Action Plan on Dec. 2, urging the council to adopt Vision Zero goals for city-maintained roadways.

"My name is Clay Smith. I'm the project manager," Smith said as he laid out the plan’s purpose, data sources and outreach. Alex Simmons reviewed crash analysis and maps, saying the five‑year dataset showed "over 4,000 crashes citywide," with roughly 1,000 on city‑maintained roads.

The consultants recommended two city commitments: the elimination of fatal crashes on city‑maintained roadways by 2035 and a 5% year‑over‑year reduction in serious‑injury crashes aimed at elimination by 2050. Simmons said the team identified a high‑injury network and found that "over 50%, almost 60% of all crashes occurred on the segments shown on this map" and that "over 90 percent of all fatal and serious injury crashes occur on these segments." The plan uses those concentrations to prioritize projects and create a digestible set of interventions for the city.

Engineers emphasized data‑driven prioritization (crash history, traffic volumes, control type) and a "safe systems" approach that pairs engineering with education, enforcement, emergency response and equity. Potential countermeasures discussed included roundabouts, turn lanes, improved crosswalk visibility, rapid‑flashing beacons and low‑cost signal backplates to improve visibility.

Councilmembers asked about pedestrian and bicycle data and whether the analysis separated city‑ and state‑maintained roads; presenters confirmed the plan breaks projects into local and state segments so the city can focus on improvements it controls while coordinating with state agencies for state routes. Smith said the final draft will be circulated to stakeholders for comment before the council considers a formal adopting resolution.

The mayor said the council will take up a resolution adopting the plan at the Tuesday voting meeting; staff will finalize the document and accept outstanding comments before that vote.