Charlotte’s Vision Zero program in the spotlight after ‘deeply troubling’ audit (WCNC)
Charlotte’s Vision Zero program is in the spotlight following a new internal audit.
Charlotte leaders adopted Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2030, in 2019. The program was started in Sweden in 1997 and has been implemented in cities across the globe.
“Vision Zero was implemented to eliminate traffic fatalities, to save lives to ensure that we are designing our city [as] a safe place for all residents,’ Charlotte City Council-At large member Dimple Ajmera said.
However, according to a new internal audit, the program is failing to have a significant impact on the communities despite the millions of dollars behind it since it launched, leaving some asking where’s the money.
Sustain Charlotte agrees with the recommendations and adds road safety needs to be a priority.
“A lot of that includes just actually tracking the metrics and knowing that what we are doing is correct or moving us in the right direction,” Hope Wright, the Advocacy Manager for Sustain Charlotte, said.