Climate Action Committee tasks chair to draft letter urging town adoption of Vision Zero

The Climate Action Committee voted to ask its chair to draft a letter for the Select Board endorsing Vision Zero as Town policy and requesting the staffing and funding needed to run it.

Linda Nieman of Mothers Out Front presented Vision Zero at the May 20 meeting, telling the committee that "the main point is making it easier for walking or biking rather than driving," and that the framework aligns with Concord’s Climate Action Plan and the town’s draft Transportation Strategy. Nieman circulated a model letter that the committee could sign onto and described Vision Zero as a shift toward a safer, system-wide approach to traffic safety that several nearby Massachusetts communities have already adopted.

Committee members pressed on implementation requirements. Ellen Quackenbush, representing the Transportation Advisory Committee, said adopting Vision Zero would require a software tracking system and a transportation manager on staff to coordinate projects and data. Select Board liaison Dean Banfield asked that the letter explicitly connect Vision Zero to the Climate Action Plan so the programs dovetail.

Brad Hubbard-Nelson moved that the committee write a letter supporting the town’s adoption of Vision Zero and requesting funding and staffing for implementation; Shelly Karlin seconded. The motion passed 6–0. Members tasked Chair Brad Dye with drafting and sending the letter to the Select Board, including language tying Vision Zero implementation to CAC priorities.

The committee’s next steps include providing the draft letter to staff for circulation and coordinating language so the Vision Zero request aligns with the committee’s broader climate action plan update.