Mayor Baldwin absent and excused. Mayor Pro Tem Branch presided.
Raleigh City Attorney announced that she is returning to private practice on May 1.
Vision Zero Program
Vision Zero, a transportation safety strategy, was first implemented in the 1990s in Sweden. The program’s goal is to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for everyone.
In 2020, the City started the process of building a Vision Zero program. The first step was hiring a consultant who provided a report benchmarking successful programs and outlining best practices. City Council supported this effort in 2021 by funding a full-time position dedicated to the City’s Vision Zero efforts. The Vision Zero Program Manager was subsequently hired in 2022 following the re-organization of the existing Traffic Safety Program.
Staff provided a presentation with details on the program’s development, program goals, progress, federal funding opportunities, and next steps.
Community Climate Action Plan Implementation
The City Council adopted Raleigh’s Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) on March 2, 2021. The City Council also established a community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 80% by 2050 at its May 21, 2019 meeting.
The first CCAP Implementation Report highlights actions that have been taken by the City and community, including data and metrics that measure progress. These actions support the three main objectives of CCAP: to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, to address equity across the community, and to build community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The Implementation Report is available on the City of Raleigh ‘Community Climate Action Plan’ main webpage. In the coming weeks, further updates, information, and a data dashboard will be added online, and community outreach will be conducted to continue sharing information with the public. Staff anticipates much of the new web content to be live by the end of March, and continued outreach and content will be developed over time. The upcoming April 21st Earth Day event and the Raleigh Environmental Awards will be a community-wide celebration with the theme of “Taking Action” that further supports continued CCAP implementation.
Robust discussion about leaf blowers, heat islands, solarizing houses, equitable options for renters, and curbside composting.