(The Center Square) – Seattle saw an increase in traffic-related deaths in 2024 despite street safety measures implemented as part of its program to reduce traffic injuries. However, the city’s transportation department is anticipating better results thanks to a new tax levy.
The Vision Zero program is the city’s commitment to achieving zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries on its streets by 2030. The program includes redesigning streets to emphasize safety, predictability, multimodal mobility and the potential for taking into account human error.
Since Seattle launched its Vision Zero program in 2015, more than 1,850 people have been seriously injured and 253 people have been killed in traffic accidents.
According to data from the Seattle Department of Transportation, traffic-related fatalities in Seattle increased from 27 in 2023 to 29 in 2024. The majority of those deaths occurred were pedestrians and people on bicycles or motorcycles.
Serious injuries on Seattle streets did drop from more than 250 in 2023 to about 200 in 2024, according to data presented to the Seattle Transportation Committee. Prior to 2023, the previous record for the most number of serious injuries was 241 in 2006.
SDOT Chief Transportation Safety Officer Venu Nemani said that the data is preliminary and could change.
Nemani noted that the department is starting strong in 2025 when it comes to implementing traffic safety projects on time thanks to the city’s new transportation levy.
Seattle’s new eight-year, $1.55 billion levy dedicates $28.9 million to pedestrian safety projects in 2025, the second largest portion of levy funds for the year.
The levy is expected to cost a median homeowner in Seattle $530 a year.
“Thanks to the levy commitment, we are starting construction on a lot of projects within the Vision Zero program,” Nemani said during Tuesday’s transportation committee meeting.
Traffic projects in 2025 includes six new safety corridors, signs and markings upgrades, speed cushions, and narrow travel lanes, among others.
Over the levy’s eight-year life span, approximately $70 million will be allocated to Vision Zero initiatives.
This year, SDOT is shifting toward an established “Safe System Approach” to broaden the department’s focus. This Safe System Approach has been utilized internationally, including in Sweden, Norway and Australia.
There are six guiding principles as part of the Safe System Approach: death and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive, and redundancy is crucial.
SDOT will consider these principles when implementing projects intended to reduce traffic deaths.
