Project Overview
Like most communities across the country, the Richmond region has experienced near-record roadway deaths and injuries in the past few years. While these types of crashes are starting to trend down, we are a long way off from significantly reducing roadway violence on our streets. This is especially true if a community's goal is zero deaths (or towards zero deaths)— commonly referred to as "Vision Zero". A major change in how we approach and think about safety is needed if we are to make a lasting impact on our roadways.
This regional safety plan update will move beyond identifying safety concerns and establish a clear framework of next steps, policy directions, and actionable strategies. It will build on lessons from our member communities and prior regional initiatives to better define regional safety priorities and establish a transparent and community-driven process for safety initiatives.
This study is the update to the Richmond Regional Transportation Safety Plan and complements existing efforts such as the Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan and the VDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan.
Check out project information section to view other documents and updates related to the project.
Safety Survey
Regional Roadway Safety Survey
Everyone deserves to feel safe getting where they need to go, whether walking, rolling, biking, driving, or riding transit. This survey is part of a regional effort to better understand how people experience travel in their communities and what changes could make our roads safer for all.
By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help local leaders and planners understand what safety means to you—what feels safe, what doesn’t, and what kinds of improvements you’d support. Your feedback will shape future safety campaigns, transportation planning, and policies that aim to reduce harmful crashes and save lives across the region.
Click here to take the survey.
Safety Messaging
PlanRVA is developing a unified safety messaging framework to support a broader regional transportation safety initiative and begin shifting the region’s safety culture. The framework will guide a cohesive education and marketing campaign, strengthen cross-jurisdiction collaboration, and build on lessons from past efforts. It will also lay the groundwork for creative partnerships that reflect local culture and art. Developed through a phased process, the framework will incorporate stakeholder input, existing materials, and regional safety data—serving as a flexible foundation for future outreach and campaigns.
Follow this project or check back for more information.
FAQ
The transportation system exists to move people and goods, but its foremost obligation is to preserve human life. Every other benefit—mobility, commerce, economic growth—depends on the assumption that the system does not impose unnecessary risk of death or serious injury on those who use it.
- In the United States, over 40,000 people are killed annually in roadway crashes, with millions more injured. Crashes are a leading cause of death for people ages 1–44 (#1 for ages 15-24 and #2 for ages 5-14) and is a public health crisis
- The economic cost of roadway crashes is estimated at more than $340 billion per year (2019), including medical care, lost productivity, property damage, and legal costs.
- Transportation agencies at all levels have an established duty of care to protect the public.
- The Commonwealth of Virginia and the federal government have embedded safety as a core principle through the Safe System approach.
- No other element of the transportation system carries such immediate and widespread risk to life as do roadway crashes. Transit delays may inconvenience, and economic inefficiencies may harm productivity, but roadway crashes cause sudden, irreversible loss of life and permanent injury.
- Unlike other priorities, roadway safety failures cannot be undone. A lost life cannot be recovered, which places safety in a unique and paramount category.
- Surveys consistently show the public ranks safety among their top transportation concerns. People expect that walking, biking, driving, and transit trips do not expose them or their families to unnecessary risk.
- Vulnerable road users and certain segments of the population (pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, children, older adults, low-income residents) bear a disproportionate share of the risk
The evidence establishes a clear message: safety must come first. It is the non-negotiable baseline for a functioning transportation system. Efficiency, mobility, and economic development all depend on safety being secured. Without it, the system exposes the public to unacceptable levels of harm. Roadway safety is not just one goal among many, it is the single overriding priority.
Setting safety goals are an annual process involving national, state, and local processes. Federal road funding is tied to performance, including in safety, where it is measured by the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roadways. The state sets targets for all of Virginia and each region in August of the previous year, MPOs have 180 days to decide to follow state targets or set their own.
For our 2025 safety goals, PlanRVA currently uses targets that are lower than those set by VDOT for the Richmond region . Our targets are displayed in the table below.
- Set clear regional safety priorities and identify the road corridors where the most serious crashes happen
- Involve the community in shaping priorities through surveys, meetings, and other input
- Build safety profiles for key corridors to better understand crash patterns and risks
- Recommend policies and funding strategies that support lasting safety improvements
- Create a flexible framework that can be updated regularly as new data and needs emerge
- Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RRTPO) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) – Guides the framework by reviewing data, setting corridor priorities, and shaping recommendations
- RRTPO Policy Board – Provides leadership, reviews progress, and adopts the final framework to keep it aligned with regional safety goals
- Local Transportation Staff – Share local safety data, identify problem corridors, and help with community outreach
- Regional Safety Committees and Coordinators – Advise on key safety issues and help confirm strategies match regional objectives
- Schools, Community Groups, and Advocates – Share community perspectives on safety concerns and travel needs
- Emergency Services – Offer insights from crash response and enforcement to help shape priorities
This survey is designed to be a key component of our regional safety planning and messaging efforts. Its purpose is to gather input on travel behaviors, public perceptions of roadway safety, and community support for design and enforcement strategies. By capturing insights on attitudes, observed behaviors, and perceived risks, we can ground our strategies in lived experience and identify areas where education and infrastructure can have the greatest impact.
The results will inform both the development of a unified messaging framework and broader safety planning work, including our approach to high injury corridors and safety investments.
