[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 36 (Wednesday, March 1, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INTRODUCTION OF THE VISION ZERO ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2017

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the true American carnage is what's 
happening on our roadways. More than 40,000 people were killed last 
year on streets in communities around the country, yet this is accepted 
as inevitability. We can do better. We have to do better.
  Even more concerning, fatalities of our most vulnerable road users, 
pedestrians and bicyclists, make up a disproportionate share of those 
deaths, with pedestrian fatalities increasing 16 percent from 2009 to 
2014 and jumping another 9 percent from 2015 to 2016. People who die on 
our streets are disproportionally children, seniors, and people from 
low-income or minority communities.
  Communities across the country have recognized that there is only one 
number of acceptable deaths on our streets: zero. Vision Zero is the 
goal of eliminating all transportation-related fatalities, including 
pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists and passengers. 
Cities from Portland, Oregon to Fort Lauderdale, Florida are 
implementing interagency Vision Zero plans that connect engineering, 
education, and enforcement to reach the goal of ending transportation 
deaths and serious injuries. Despite the horrific national statistics, 
Vision Zero is already making a difference at street level.
  Congress should encourage this innovative approach to transportation 
safety, and today I'm pleased to introduce the Vision Zero Act of 2017 
with my friend, Representative Vern Buchanan. This bill creates grant 
programs to plan and implement a Vision Zero framework, giving local 
communities of all sizes access to funding and best practices to set 
and reach safety goals. We should no longer accept bicycle and 
pedestrian fatalities as harsh reality, and this bill gives us the 
tools to reverse this trend.

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