HomeMy WebLinkAboutVIII-11 Endorsing Toward Zero Deaths PolicyCity Council Memorandum
To: Mayor Fasbender & City Council Members
From:Cody Mathisen –City Engineer
Date:May 19, 2025
Item:Resolution Endorsing Policy Towards Zero Traffic Deaths and Serious Injuries by 2040
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED
Council is requested to adopt the attached resolution to endorse a policy supporting the State of Minnesota’s
Toward Zero Deaths Initiative in the City of Hastings, targeting zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on
Hastings streets by the year 2040.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The City of Hastings has a strong and well-established track record of improving transportation safety through a
combination of planning, engineering, and enforcement on our city streets. These efforts align closely with the
State of Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD)initiative, which takes a multidisciplinary approach to reducing
traffic crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities. The TZD initiative is built around four key focus areas:
•Education: Providing drivers with the knowledge and resources to avoid dangerous behaviors and make
responsible choices.
•Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Ensuring prompt and effective emergency response to reduce
fatalities and serious injuries when crashes occur.
•Enforcement: Promoting compliance with traffic laws to improve driver behavior and reduce unsafe
practices.
•Engineering: Designing and modifying roadways to enhance safety for all users.
To strengthen our position for future grant opportunities, both through the Minnesota TZD program and other
funding sources, it is recommended that the City adopt a formal resolution expressing our commitment to the
Toward Zero Deaths initiative.Adopting this resolution affirms the City’s continued dedication to existing
policies and investments such as the People Movement Plan, our long-term capital improvement program, and
the consistent enforcement of traffic safety throughout Hastings’ transportation system.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff is recommending that the City Council move forward in adopting the attached resolution, endorsing a
policy aiming to achieve zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on Hastings streets by 2040.
ATTACHMENTS
•Resolution
VIII-11
CITY OF HASTINGS
DAKOTA COUNTY,MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION ENDORSING A TOWARD ZERO DEATHS POLICY
AIMING TO ACHIEVE ZERO TRAFFIC DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES ON HASTINGS STREETS BY 2040
WHEREAS, the City of Hastings is committed to continuously improving the safety of the local transportation network
that serves all users, regardless of whether they walk, bike, drive, or use other forms of transportation, and
WHEREAS, the City has a well-documented history of improving neighborhood streets through its Neighborhood
Infrastructure Improvements Program, which has consistently incorporated traffic calming measures, pedestrian
infrastructure improvements, and safety enhancements into annual street projects, and
WHEREAS, the City’s People Movement Plan of 2021 serves as the primary guide for pedestrian and bicycle
infrastructure planning, promoting safe, interconnected, and accessible routes for all residents and visitors, and
WHEREAS, proven strategies exist to reduce crashes and improve safety on Hastings streets through a combination of
engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency response measures, and
WHEREAS, the City of Hastings supports Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths mission to create a culture in which traffic
fatalities are no longer acceptable, because one death or serious injury on our streets is one too many, and
WHEREAS, the City of Hastings supports the following principles:
1.Traffic deaths and serious injuries are preventable
2.Human life should be prioritized in every aspect of transportation planning, design, and operations
3.Transportation systems must be designed to minimize the consequences of inevitable human errors
4.Speed is a critical factor in crash severity and must be managed appropriately for the context of each street
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HASTINGS, that the City formally endorses
the Toward Zero Deaths policy, with the goal of achieving zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on Hastings streets by
the year 2040.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA, THIS 19th DAY OF MAY, 2025.
Ayes:
Nays:
Mary D. Fasbender, Mayor
ATTEST:
Kelly Murtaugh, City Clerk
SEAL
VIII-11