Members of the Dallas council are raising concerns about the “minimal” allocation of funding for Vision Zero road safety initiatives in the bond plan

Dallas City Council members expressed concerns on Wednesday regarding the adequacy of a $500 million transportation bond proposal to support the council’s commitment to the ‘Vision Zero’ road safety plan adopted in 2022. The ‘Vision Zero’ plan aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2030 and reduce serious injuries by 50%.

“We’re a long way from where we need to be, and I know today we’re not discussing the specific priorities street by street, but I do want to just make it known that ‘Vision Zero’ is an area that I want to see an increase,” stated council member Jesse Moreno during a Wednesday council discussion on the status of the city’s bond package proposal.

As reported by NBC 5 Investigates on Tuesday, less than 2% of the $500 million in transportation bonds are currently allocated for Vision Zero safety improvements, totaling approximately $8.8 million in the council’s most recent proposal.

“It’s pretty minimal, considering the size of this bond,” remarked District 1 Council member Chad West during Wednesday’s council meeting.

City records examined by NBC 5 Investigates show that the majority of the Vision Zero bond funds would be utilized to install streetlights at six high-injury and death locations and to enhance one intersection, which is not listed among the city’s worst locations for fatal and serious injury crashes.

Council member Jaime Resendez, representing the Pleasant Grove neighborhood where some of the city’s top crash locations are situated, emphasized the need for more action from staff to address his constituents’ concerns about road safety.

“It’s the top issue that I hear about in District 5. To me, this is, it really is, a life or death type of thing, you know, it really is,” Resendez conveyed to his colleagues during the council meeting.

In response to Resendez’s concerns, city staff stated they would explore options to incorporate Vision Zero improvements into more street repair and reconstruction projects funded by the bond package but not specifically labeled under the ‘Vision Zero’ initiative.

The bond package also allocates around $50 million for “Complete Streets” projects, some of which integrate Vision Zero strategies to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety.

However, several council members emphasized the need for clearer insights into how road safety is prioritized across all city transportation projects and how Vision Zero principles are integrated into street reconstruction efforts.

“Anytime we look at re-constructing streets in our city Vision Zero tenants and Vision Zero goals need to be implemented in that,” Resendez emphasized to NBC 5 and Telemundo 39.

Wednesday’s vote on the bond plan was preliminary, and the council will convene again in February to decide whether to call a bond referendum in May, leaving the final decision to voters.