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Dallas City Council members pressed city officials on Wednesday for answers regarding measures to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries.
Concerns were raised after an NBC 5 investigation highlighted the city’s perceived lack of progress on its Vision Zero road safety initiative. The council had committed in 2022 to eliminating traffic deaths and halving the number of serious injuries by 2030.
Councilmember Jaynie Schultz expressed urgency, questioning whether the city has a comprehensive plan to achieve these goals within the remaining six years.
Gus Khankarli, Director of the Dallas Transportation Department, acknowledged ongoing efforts but admitted the plan’s completeness was a work in progress.
Councilmembers engaged in a rapid-fire exchange of questions and comments, focusing on identifying hazardous roadways and implementing short-term and long-term safety measures.
A previous NBC 5 investigation revealed Dallas’s status with the highest traffic death rate among the ten largest U.S. cities, with speed being a major contributing factor to fatal crashes.
Councilmember Paul Ridley emphasized the severity of the situation, comparing the annual traffic death toll to the number of murders in recent years.
Khankarli provided insights into the department’s efforts to identify and address high-risk roads, citing limited resources and outdated street designs as challenges.
Despite setbacks due to various unforeseen events, Khankarli assured ongoing efforts to improve road safety through engineering, enforcement, and education.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia responded promptly to concerns about traffic enforcement, citing staffing shortages but affirming the department’s commitment to targeted enforcement.
Councilmembers expressed frustration with the pace of progress and hoped for a more proactive approach in the future.
The approximately three-hour meeting concluded with a renewed emphasis on accelerating efforts towards achieving the Vision Zero objectives.