Lincoln council adopts Vision Zero Safe Streets action plan to pursue zero traffic deaths

The Lincoln City Council on March 16 unanimously adopted the Safe Streets Lincoln Vision Zero Action Plan, a citywide framework aiming to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries and to coordinate engineering, enforcement and community engagement.

Elizabeth Elliott, director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, told the council the plan formalizes the city’s long-running safety work and organizes it around four focus areas—safer streets, safer mobility, safer people and safer outcomes—supported by nine action steps and 19 potential priority projects. She said the city secured a $400,000 Safe Streets for All grant in 2023 and added $100,000 in local matching funds to develop the plan.

"We want to make sure that this is formalized," Elliott said. "Having this action plan makes us eligible for additional federal funding and helps us speak with one voice across departments and community groups."

The plan highlights a data-driven approach that concentrates improvements on the city’s high-injury network—about 8.6% of the system—and identifies corridors and intersections where engineering changes may have the greatest impact. Elliott said the plan keeps roundabouts as a priority design tool and calls for an annual progress report to the council.

Several speakers urged adoption. June Ryan, an AARP Nebraska volunteer, said the plan is "a vital step toward making Lincoln a truly age-friendly city" and praised measurable goals and public accountability. Curtis Olson, injury prevention coordinator at Bryan Trauma Center, described an increase in pedestrian injuries seen at the trauma center and urged the council to adopt the recommendations. "For us, the best outcome is people not needing our care at all," Olson said.

Council members commenting before the vote framed traffic safety as public safety. Councilmember Weber called the plan a comprehensive, non-siloed approach that will help the city access competitive federal grants; Councilmember Duden praised the plan’s collaborative development and emphasis on vulnerable road users.

The council’s unanimous vote (7-0) makes Lincoln eligible to apply for forthcoming SS4A funding and directs staff to continue public engagement and project-level review before individual projects are proposed for funding or construction.

Next steps outlined by staff include creation of a Safe Streets Lincoln Committee, development of a public-facing website with progress data, and targeted grant applications to pursue prioritized projects.