GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - 2018 will go down as one of the safest for pedestrians and bicyclists in Grand Rapids.
The city announced Monday that bicycle-related crashes with motorists were at a 10-year low and pedestrian-vehicle collisions were at a three-year low for 2018.
“Grand Rapids is showing extraordinary improvements in public understanding that the responsibility for traffic safety is shared by all road users,” Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said during a City Hall press conference today where results of the Vision Zero Summer of Safety campaign were announced. “The achievements from our 2018 Vision Zero campaign reflect that we’re building a strong culture of respect between people who walk, bicycle or drive.”
Other highlights included:
- Zero bicycle-related fatalities were recorded in Grand Rapids from April 2018 through September 2018.
- The 40 vehicle-bicycle crashes recorded during that six-month span were the City’s lowest total since 2008.
- More than 9 in 10 people in Grand Rapids now know they must leave a minimum amount of space – 5 feet – between their vehicle and a bicyclist when passing, according to results from a new City-commissioned survey.
- More than 75 percent of respondents to a new City survey believe Grand Rapids is becoming friendlier to all road users – drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Only one fatal vehicle-pedestrian crash and 43 total vehicle-pedestrian crashes were recorded in Grand Rapids from April through September, the lowest totals since 2015.
