Eliminate traffic deaths by 2050

SANDUSKY — They've set a course for how to make streets safer for all types of travel. During a recent public meeting, Sandusky city commissioners adopted the local government's first Safe Streets Action Plan. More than 400 residents — through surveys, open houses and outreach events — contributed feedback in the document. Basically, it sets "a clear path toward eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Sandusky by 2050," according to a city statement. The city first received funding in 2022 to begin a planning process with: • $200,000 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation • $50,000 in local funds "Developed with WSP, a nationally renowned engineering firm, and informed by extensive crash data analysis and community input, the plan identifies strategies, policies and projects to make Sandusky's streets safer for all users," the statement read. Aaron Klein, the city's public works director, underscored its overall importance. "This plan gives us a framework to make informed decisions about how to make Sandusky's streets safer for everyone whether you're driving, biking or walking," Klein said. "It was shaped by feedback from residents about where they feel unsafe and what improvements they want to see," he added. "It identifies quick projects we can implement right away while also guiding the larger, long-term improvements that will take more time and resources." By the numbers Between 2014 and 2023, Sandusky recorded 128 serious or fatal crashes, averaging about 13 per year. Sandusky-based crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, while relatively few in number when compared with other similarly sized communities, did account for a high percentage of severe outcomes citywide, local officials said. The city's safe streets plan, meanwhile, outlines countermeasures to address these risks, including safer intersections, better traffic calming and improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Adoption of the plan, officials said, positions Sandusky's government to continue securing federal and state funding for implementation. Beyond the initial $250,000 for planning, in late 2024, Sandusky's government secured an additional $600,000 in federal funds for implementing strategies. The city, meanwhile, provided an additional $150,000, making this first phase of work total $750,000. "A key component of the plan is a data-driven project prioritization framework," the statement read. "Using benefit-to-cost analysis, the city will rank projects based on their ability to reduce crashes and deliver the greatest community value." The plan also lays out a phased implementation strategy, as explained by the statement: • Short term/within two years — "Quick-build demonstration projects, such as temporary traffic calming measures or improved crosswalks, that can be piloted with existing resources." • Near term/between three and five years — "Smaller projects supported through local and state funding, such as (state) safety programs and Safe Routes to School." Long term/five-plus years — "Larger projects requiring outside coordination, additional design or right-of-way acquisition, such as major roadway redesigns or permanent reconfigurations." "These phased efforts will allow the city to act immediately on urgent safety needs while preparing for more complex, long-term infrastructure changes," the city noted. People can visit cityofsandusky.com/safestreets for more information.