Balducci would aim to end traffic deaths with ‘Safe System’ policy in King County

June 25, 2024

With traffic deaths on a steep rise, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci on Tuesday introduced a proposal that would take a wider, whole system approach in King County to making roads, trails, bike lanes, crossings, and more, safer for all users.

Her legislation would establish a “Safe System” approach to traffic safety and set out a renewed goal of zero traffic deaths or serious injuries and would develop a coordinated, multiagency safety action plan along with a proposed date by which King County would strive to achieve zero traffic deaths and serious injuries .

“The cost of doing nothing in the face of skyrocketing traffic deaths and serious injuries is more suffering, more grief, more loss of human life," Balducci said. "This is unacceptable, especially when we have the tools to make our streets safer even when human error occurs. King County has an important role to play in making our transportation system safer and I am proud to introduce this motion to ensure we are doing our part to eradicate serious injury and deaths in King County."

The Safe System approach is founded on the principles that humans make mistakes, that human bodies have limited ability to tolerate crash impacts, and that those mistakes should not lead to death or serious injury. It involves anticipating human mistakes by designing and managing roadway infrastructure to keep the risk of a mistake low, and when a mistake leads to a crash that the impact on the human body doesn’t result in a fatality or serious injury, which requires a focus on safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, safe road users, and post-crash care to make roadways safer for all users.

This approach could include things like incorporating additional roadway designs to mitigate human mistakes, expanding the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants, promoting safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, equitable, context-appropriate roadway design, appropriate speed-limit setting, targeted education, outreach campaigns, and enforcement, as well as post-crash care activities.

“King County’s adoption of Vision Zero would recognize the voices of the many youth and families Living Well Kent have engaged with in Kent, many who’ve expressed not feeling safe travelling to work, school, public spaces, and more,” said Yusuf Ali-Halane, Youth Program Coordinator, Living Well Kent. “By creating safer and equitable transportation systems through this, we can prioritize and continue supporting the wellbeing and safety of residents in the city of Kent and beyond.”

Washington state recorded 810 traffic deaths in 2023, a 10% increase and the highest number of deaths since 1990. In King County, 167 people were killed in incidents involving motor vehicles in 2023, double the number just nine years earlier. That figure also included a 165% increase in pedestrian deaths during the same period – from 20 in 2014 to 53 in 2023.

What’s more, the King County Traffic Safety Coalition calculated that, in 2023, the societal cost of traffic collisions in King County was $5.5 billion.

And 2024 has already seen a number of tragic deaths in King County, including six fatalities in the span of seven days in May in Seattle, a crash in Renton that killed a mother and three children, and other recent deaths in Kent, Auburn and elsewhere across the county.

King County government oversight includes the Road Services division’s 1,500 miles of roads and 185 bridges, King County Parks’ 175-mile regional trail system, the countywide injury prevention and physical activity promotion work at Public Health, the enforcement and outreach portfolio of the King County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the work of King County Metro, and the fleet services division.

The work builds off the leadership of Balducci and others in 2022 to establish a Safe System approach policy in the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional Transportation Plan update.

“Puget Sound Regional Council is leading work to create a Regional Safety Action Plan and assisting nearly 20 jurisdictions across the Puget Sound Region on local plans through two federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants from the US Department of Transportation,” said Josh Brown, Executive Director of Puget Sound Regional Council. “Intentionally embracing the Safe Systems Approach during this planning phase will position the region to be competitive for critical safety implementation dollars to make meaningful infrastructure improvements on our streets and roads to reverse the troubling increase in deaths and serious road injuries.”

Funding for the program could come from existing federal grant funds. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 established the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, with $5 billion in grant funds available to support regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries through the Safe System approach. And by establishing a county-level safety policy, King County would become eligible for additional funding to carry the work further.

Balducci’s legislation would require a report back from the Executive by January 30, 2025.

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Additional Quotes:

“You can't look at the fact that King County has seen an 165% increase in pedestrian deaths over the last 10 years and tell me the current approach to road safety is working. And we know who is more likely to be killed -- people who are walking and rolling in communities that have been designed to prioritize the speed of cars over the safety of people. Until we reverse that paradigm and start building communities that make it possible to meet our daily needs without so much driving, our dependence on traveling far distances at fast speeds in increasingly larger and heavier vehicles will result in far too many deaths and serious injuries.” – Anna Zivarts, Program Director, Disability Mobility Initiative, Disability Rights Washington

“We're excited King County is looking to adopt Vision Zero and implement the federally recognized Safe Systems Approach, a critical first step in making all of King County safer for people traveling from A to B -- whether we bike, walk, or drive. It's possible to eliminate serious injury and fatality crashes, and communities that implement Vision Zero have proven this by putting ideas into commitment and action. Crucially, the legislation recognizes that trails, transit, roads, public health, and more all play a part in making travel safer in King County. We look forward to partnering with King County legislators and staff, and advocating along the way for funding and policies so that we can swiftly save lives through Vision Zero.”  – Lee Lambert, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club

“Everyone who calls King County home wants streets that are safe and make getting where they need to go stress free. We know from Cities here in the US and across the world what works. We stand in support of this legislation for committing every aspect of the county to make sure no one is seriously injured or killed on our streets and trails.” - Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition

"This legislation takes a holistic approach to tackling our traffic safety crisis in King County. Rising traffic fatalities are not inevitable, but to reverse the trend we need everyone on board. Move Redmond commends Councilmember Balducci's collaborative approach on bringing departments together to take action on traffic safety” - Kelli Refer, Executive Director, Move Redmond

"All levels of government need to adopt a Safe Systems approach to keeping people safe as they travel on our streets, so we applaud this move by King County. We're in the middle of a pedestrian safety crisis with 53 people walking killed in King County in 2024. By implementing proven solutions we can make sure everyone gets to where they need to go safely."  - Gordon Padelford, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

"2023 was a record-setting year for fatal and serious-injury crashes on Shoreline's streets, a grim statistic that should be a call to action for all of us. Reversing this deadly trend will require holistic thinking, multiagency coordination, and changes to policy and infrastructure at all levels. We need a Safe Systems approach to keep people safe as they walk, bike, and drive on our streets." - Shoreline safe streets advocate Katie Lorah

“People walking, rolling, and strolling on our regional trails rarely are just on a trail – often we are getting to and from a trail experience via roads and sidewalks, interacting with each other and vehicles. Resources and focus on total systems will make for safer experience for everyone. We appreciate Councilmember Balducci’s county-wide approach towards safety for all.” - Katherine Hollis, Executive Director, Eastrail Partners

“Any death or serious injury on our streets is an unacceptable outcome that can & should be prevented. Vision Zero is not a lofty, unfulfillable promise – it’s an attainable goal that regions around the world have realized, including right here in the United States.  Complete Streets Bellevue supports the introduction of this legislation, which recognizes that a holistic, multi-departmental commitment to a Safe Systems approach is the best way to protect the safety of everyone who travels through King County.” – Christopher Randels, Director, Complete Streets Bellevue

“I have become accustomed to relying on vigilance and luck to get around safely. Like everyone I have experienced close calls, on foot, on my bike, and in a car. Vision Zero opened my eyes: we can build a transportation system that is designed to prioritize the safety of the people using it (that’s us!), following the Safe Systems approach. I encourage everyone to learn more about Vision Zero and consider how it will impact the daily lives of you and your loved ones.” - Arman Bilge, Eastside Urbanism

“We hear stories all the time about people in our region whose lives are ended or indelibly altered by traffic violence. There is no acceptable level of traffic violence. While many cities, including Kirkland, have worked hard toward realizing Vision Zero, having King County aligned with that goal will benefit all cities. Our aspiration for a future where car crashes are not a regular occurrence, where pedestrians and cyclists feel safe and welcome, and where human lives are prioritized above vehicle speeds should not end at the city border. King County must set an example of bold, coordinated action, not only for its own cities, but for the state and the nation.”  –  Kurt Dresner, Co-Founder, Liveable Kirkland

"With the dramatic rise in statewide roadway fatalities this year and a half dozen roadway deaths in just one week recently in Seattle, we are pleased to see legislation taking a permanent, integrated, whole-of-government approach. Saving lives should be everyone's business—and every agency of government should be involved in this critical effort." - Jon Cracolici, Executive Director, Seattle Subway