Monroe County launches Vision Zero Taskforce to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries

Rochester, New York – Monroe County has launched a new effort to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries, bringing government agencies and community representatives together to coordinate transportation safety policies across the county.

County Executive Adam Bello convened the first official meeting of the Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce on October 22. The group will examine road safety challenges and promote strategies intended to protect drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

The initiative comes as Monroe County reports an average of 47 traffic-related deaths annually over the past three years. The county also experiences approximately 3,700 personal injury crashes each year, underscoring the scope of the safety challenges facing the new taskforce.

“Zero traffic-related fatalities, zero serious injuries,” said County Executive Bello. “The Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce will work to make this ambitious goal a reality, working collaboratively to create safer roadways for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Each member of this taskforce was selected for their shared commitment towards preventing tragedies and creating the safest transportation systems possible throughout Monroe County.”

The taskforce includes representatives from law enforcement, healthcare, municipalities, school districts and advocacy organizations, as well as citizen representation. Its membership brings together groups involved in transportation planning, public safety, education and community concerns. A full list of participating members is available on the county’s Vision Zero webpage.

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Six goals will guide the taskforce’s work, beginning with identifying locations, behaviors and broader systemic factors associated with crashes that cause deaths or serious injuries. The group will also seek stronger coordination among county, municipal, state and regional agencies, alongside transportation, public safety and community partners.

Another priority involves supporting Safe System strategies through roadway designs, speeds, policies and practices that reduce both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of their consequences. Education will form a separate part of the effort, with an emphasis on safe transportation behaviors and the shared responsibility for keeping roads safe.

Crash data and other information will help the taskforce determine priorities, assess strategies and monitor progress. The group will also support municipalities and partner agencies as they develop and carry out their own transportation safety initiatives. Together, those objectives connect countywide coordination with work undertaken at the local level.

Bello first announced plans to establish the countywide taskforce during his State of the County address in June. According to the county, only one other county in New York State had adopted a Vision Zero initiative at that time.

For Reconnect Rochester, the launch represents a commitment that will require continued participation and leadership throughout the community.

“We are deeply grateful to County Executive Bello for committing Monroe County to Vision Zero. But declaring Vision Zero won’t alone end fatalities and serious injuries. That will take sustained leadership from all areas of our community,” said Cody Donahue, Co-Executive Director of Reconnect Rochester. “Residents are increasingly aware that old traffic engineering frameworks don’t work for our communities today. From neighbors demanding safer crossings on Penfield Rd to residents of Chili attending Town Board meetings to urge for more sidewalks and bike lanes, people want safer streets.”

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The new taskforce will complement existing county programs, including the Community Traffic Safety Team and the School Bus Safety Program. Those initiatives already address resident concerns and dangerous driving behavior, providing established programs that the broader Vision Zero effort can support.

The Community Traffic Safety Team, described by the county as a first-in-the-state initiative centered on traffic safety concerns submitted by residents, will expand under Vision Zero. Its focus gives community members a way to bring attention to transportation issues affecting their neighborhoods.

Bello also launched an online StoryMap that provides access to updated county traffic safety statistics, information about the team’s work and a dashboard displaying citizen-reported concerns. Residents can explore the resource through the county’s traffic safety webpage.

School transportation safety is another component of the county’s existing work. Since the School Bus Safety Program began in 2023, nine school districts have implemented the technology, and more than 20,500 citations have been issued to drivers who passed stopped school buses.

Districts can join the program at no cost and receive stop-arm cameras installed on their buses. The cameras are intended to discourage dangerous passing behavior around stopped buses, addressing a specific risk associated with students’ travel to and from school.

The University of Rochester Medical Center’s Kessler Trauma Center has also recently partnered with Monroe County on Spot the Stop, an educational campaign focused on the dangers of passing stopped school buses. The campaign combines outreach to drivers with education intended to help families reinforce safe behavior among children.

“Spot the Stop is an opportunity to turn data into action and help prevent injuries before they happen,” said Sarah Gorman, Trauma Program Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator with URMC’s Kessler Trauma Center. “Through this initiative, we’re using local data to guide our outreach, educate drivers about the dangers of passing stopped school buses, and empower families to reinforce safe pedestrian behaviors with their children. By addressing both driver behavior and student safety, we’re working to create safer communities and ensure every child can get to and from school safely.”

Bello said the Vision Zero Taskforce will complement each of these programs by strengthening countywide collaboration. Its role will bring those ongoing efforts into a shared approach to reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries, with data, public education and coordination among participating organizations guiding the work.