City of Charlotte not doing enough to eliminate deadly crashes, audit says

CHARLOTTE — A scathing internal audit calls into question how effective Charlotte City Council’s efforts have been to ensure our streets are safer for everyone. Some advocates are hoping this is a wakeup call.

BikeWalk NC’s Terry Lansdell says Charlotte needs to get serious about its Vision Zero program after an internal audit found that despite spending tens of millions of dollars, there hasn’t been a significant decrease in deadly or serious crashes.

“It’s a wake-up call for the entire department to get out of their silos and start managing the programs, initiatives, and funding that we have in place,” he said. “I think it’s very much like what happened for (the Charlotte Area Transit System). We see a leadership problem.”

Vision Zero’s goal is to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Examples of Charlotte’s action on this in recent years include, reducing The Plaza from two lanes to one and adding protected bike lanes in Uptown.

The audit found Charlotte Department of Transportation hasn’t provided an update since 2020. It says Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s traffic enforcement is distributed evenly around the city instead of focusing on severe corridors. It also found city staff and contractors were regularly blocking sidewalks and bike lanes.

The entire audit can be read here.

Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson says the city is taking the audit to heart and changes can be expected.

“I think what it will do is it will ignite us to double down on our commitment to Vision Zero,” she said.

Sustain Charlotte’s Eric Zaverl says Charlotte can only go up from here. He says the city needs to double down on its efforts to ensure streets are safe and prioritize alternate modes of getting around.

“We really need to focus on transportation options and choices beyond driving and making it safer,” he said. “Prioritizing safety above all.”

While Charlotte is struggling with its Vision Zero goals, the city of Hoboken, New Jersey, is being cited as an example of a place doing it right

It’s gone seven straight years without a traffic death.

Some of the improvements include reduced speed limits, staggered traffic lights, widened curbs, and shortened crosswalks.

(WATCH BELOW: Cyclist fights for his life after freak bike accident near University City)

Cyclist fights for his life after freak bike accident near University City

©2024 Cox Media Group