County’s ‘Vision Zero’ takes shape

The Pierce County Council has adopted Resolution R2025-132, formally approving the Pierce County Vision Zero Action Plan – a roadmap to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on county roads by 2035. The Vision Zero Action Plan is a data-driven effort that will identify strategies and actions addressing the root causes of fatalities and serious injury collisions.

The plan, developed through extensive public engagement and data analysis, follows the national “Safe System” approach. This strategy acknowledges that human error is inevitable, but fatalities and serious injuries are preventable when roads are designed to be more forgiving. A Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant was secured by Pierce County to create the Action Plan, and the council has authorized the Planning and Public Works Department to submit applications for other similar grant funds. 

Between 2018 and 2022, 108 people were killed and 296 seriously injured on unincorporated Pierce County roads. The plan identifies crash hotspots – like dangerous intersections and stretches prone to lane-departure accidents – and recommends proven safety improvements such as lower speed limits, traffic calming infrastructure, and better pedestrian facilities. It also outlines the importance of driver education and enforcement, both which are part of getting to zero.

“Today’s vote gives me hope that no other parent in Pierce County will have to experience the heartbreak my family has endured losing my son Michael,” said Amber Weilert, whose young son was killed in 2022 while riding his bike. “The Vision Zero Action Plan is a critical step forward, and today’s decision shows that Pierce County is ready to make our roads safer.”

Implementation will depend on support from local, state, and federal partners and ongoing accountability, but having a is the purpose of the plan. The county is better poised to seek funding resources, partnerships and work creatively to make our roads safer for all users.