What is Vision Zero?

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Vision Zero recognizes that road users sometimes make mistakes, and therefore a system designed to accommodate these inevitable mistakes is necessary to help reduce death and serious injuries. Many factors contribute to safe mobility under Vision Zero -- including roadway design, speed management, education, enforcement, and evaluation.

THEAs Vision Zero Practices

Careful consideration is provided for every THEA project to ensure that Vision Zero principles are prioritized and incorporated at each phase of every project. Download PDF

South Selmon PD&E Study

Q: How is the project addressing Vision Zero goals and the potential for more cars leaving the expressway into neighborhood streets? A: Multiple improvements and countermeasures will be made to the South Selmon (Himes to Whiting) that will improve overall safety and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.  THEA worked with The City of Tampa to determine safety and operational needs.  The South Selmon PD&E identified improvements to address current deficiencies related to pedestrian and bike movements.   The following is an overview of the identified countermeasures designed to ensure consistency with the Vision Zero Framework. Improvements for Pedestrians For a safe and enhanced walking environment, this project will install the following at multiple interchanges/cross streets:

• Pedestrian countdown heads: Euclid Ramp Terminus and Willow Ramp Terminus
• Enhanced ITS Technology: Pedestrian detection to extend crossing time when a pedestrian is detected within the intersection at all ramp terminus
• High visibility crosswalk: Euclid Ramp Terminus and Willow Ramp Terminus
• Raised medians and pedestrian refuge islands along with corridor access points
• Intersection lighting/crosswalk lighting: Euclid and Willow interchanges (including street lighting, under-deck decorative lighting, as well as lighting along Selmon Expressway)
• Pedestrian yield signs: Euclid Ramps and Willow Ramps

Improvements for Bicyclists To improve safety and access for bicyclists, this project will install the following at multiple interchanges/cross streets:

• Bike lanes (Euclid and Willow)
• Green colored bike pavement markings (Willow)

Improvements for Motorists To improve safety and slow vehicle speeds at the ramps, the project will include the following:

• Signal timing improvements (Euclid, Bay to Bay, and Willow)
• New traffic signals at un-signalized intersections (Euclid ramp terminals)
• Right turn on red restrictions (Cleveland Ave to Willow NB Ave)

Traffic analysis also shows that the capacity improvements will help maintain adequate traffic flows and keep cars from neighborhood streets like Bayshore and Bay to Bay Boulevards. For example, with the South Selmon improvements in place, the expressway will draw approximately 150 vehicles per hour from Bayshore Boulevard during peak hours. Overall, the surrounding neighborhood streets can expect to experience nearly a 10 percent reduction in vehicles as a result of the South Selmon project. Download PDF