VISION ZERO: COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN
In the fall of 2016, I, along with my colleagues at Community Arts Resources (CARS) worked closely with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to support the creation of a pilot campaign to bring awareness to and advocate for the Vision Zero initiative–the elimination of all traffic fatalities in the City of Los Angeles. The Vision Zero Community-Based Outreach and Education Campaign targeted high-fatality corridors in various parts of LA, majority of which suffer from a history of systemic racism that has caused predominantly low income conditions in these communities of color. We collaborated with 23 community-based organizations and individuals who have deep experience with local communities along ten high-fatality corridors, designing culturally relevant community engagement and creative implementation and communication regarding traffic safety in their corridors and communities.
The campaign included collecting 2,000 pre and post surveys to understand sentiment surrounding traffic safety and to assess the effectiveness of the outreach campaign. While the City of LA continues to struggle to reach their ambitious goal of eliminating all traffic fatilities by 2025, the project led to a number of street improvements that make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
