Location
Chicago, IL
Client
Chicago Department of Transportation
Services
Community Engagement
Strategic Communication
Chicago Vision Zero Program Management
In 2017, the City of Chicago released its Vision Zero Action Plan with a commitment to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes by 2026. Recognizing that achieving Vision Zero will take a multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted approach, the Chicago Department of Transportation tasked Sam Schwartz to support implementation of the Action Plan over the next 5 years.
The Vision Zero Action Plan calls for tailored, neighborhood-specific plans to address traffic safety in a culturally sensitive and site-specific way in areas with a history of high crashes. Each neighborhood plan engages a task force of local community organizations with a mission aligned with traffic and/or public safety. Creative public engagement events are designed and adapted to each community to educate and message Vision Zero and the importance of traffic safety.
As part of the program, Sam Schwartz manages and trains a team of Bike and Safe Routes Ambassadors who provide traffic safety education all over the city. Bicycle Ambassadors teach citizens of all ages to ride in a safe controlled environment and also provide bike to work presentations for the working population. Safe Routes Ambassadors provide educational indoor and outdoor Safe Routes presentations for students at schools and seniors at senior facilities throughout the city.
To raise awareness during summer, Traffic Safety Education teams attend community events, block club parties, and other venues, educating the public on all forms of safe mobility to support the Vision Zero initiative.