“Vision Zero Belmont commits the small but growing city of Belmont, NC, to an ambitious target of eliminating all traffic-related fatalities by the year 2030. In response to a series of fatal and severe pedestrian crashes in the community, including one involving a four-year-old child, the city launched Vision Zero Belmont in October 2023 with a powerful community-driven call to action. What began as an urgent outcry quickly evolved into a model of leadership, collaboration, and authentic engagement. City staff from the Belmont Police Department and Planning & Zoning Department moved swiftly to develop a comprehensive Vision Zero Safety Action Plan, completing it entirely in-house in under 12 months—an extraordinary feat. This resourceful and determined approach demonstrated true leadership, collaboration, and a deep commitment to safety and equity. Most importantly, the action plan is grounded in a systems-level approach. The plan addresses not only engineering and education, but also policy reform, enforcement strategies, and design standards, building a safer transportation system for all users—going beyond individual accountability to enforce and empower the city’s role in shaping a safer system for all. Vision Zero Belmont stands out as a powerful example of what’s possible when leadership, advocacy, partnership, and community voices come together to create lasting change.”

“The Village of Clemmons has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the principles of Vision Zero through its proactive and community-centered approach to enhancing pedestrian and overall transportation safety. The Village of Clemmons, recognizing the critical need to foster a safer environment for all road users, embarked on a multi-faceted strategy. The SS4A neighborhood walk audits were a testament to the power of collaboration. Residents, Task Force members, Village staff, and SS4A Action Plan consulting team members actively engaged in identifying specific safety concerns and potential hazards within the pedestrian environment. This grassroots approach ensured that the identified issues were not merely theoretical but reflected the lived experiences and daily challenges faced by Clemmons residents. Building upon the findings of the walk audits, the Village of Clemmons hosted a comprehensive Transportation Summit. This brought together residents, elected officials, transportation experts, and stakeholders from neighboring municipalities to discuss best practices in traffic calming, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and safe mobility for all ages and abilities. This inclusive and collaborative environment fostered a shared sense of ownership and responsibility for achieving Vision Zero goals within the Village. The outcomes of the SS4A initiative, driven by the walk audits and amplified by the Transportation Summit, are already demonstrating a tangible impact on safety within Clemmons. The Village has prioritized and begun implementing several key recommendations, including improvements to crosswalk visibility, installing pedestrian-activated signals, enhanced signage, and exploring traffic calming measures in identified high-risk areas. These improvements testify to the initiative’s effectiveness in achieving Vision Zero goals within the Village.”

“Steven is an advocate who has put his life on the line as an activist for safer and accessible streets for everyone and I mean everyone. He has been a board member of the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, now BikeWalkNC, since its founding. Having survived being hit by a dangerous driver while cycling himself, he has used experience to educate others. He advocates for safety and accessibility by volunteering his skills as an ASL interpreter and can be seen signing for national leaders of the NTSB, FAA, USDOT, and others. He has organized an annual Ride of Silence in Greenville, NC for 20 years. I can think of no one else who has done more professionally and personally for as long as Steven has to remind people to fight for safer and more accessible streets. He has filed hundreds of ADA violations and pressured the state to address the missing and substandard sidewalk curb cuts. Any award the state could ever give him can never compare with the lives and serious injuries he has prevented from being taken, but this is at least an acknowledgement of the hero that he is..”

“We are recognizing Kat Dale of Winterville as our North Carolina Vision Zero “Rising Star” for her continued support of and commitment to traffic safety in the Town of Winterville. Over the past year, Kat has emerged as an effective leader in coordinating and implementing projects that align with Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach. These efforts and contributions exemplify strong community and statewide collaboration across new and traditional partners for transportation safety. Kat and the Town of Winterville have established themselves as examples for how to engage statewide transportation safety stakeholders across GHSP, NCDOT, and within their community to make transportation safer for all.”