The City of Lincoln, Nebraska has been named the recipient of the 2023 Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Awards by the National Center for Safe Routes to School with support from the FIA Foundation.

A focus on youth walking and biking safety from the City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities included: community and partner involvement; infrastructure benefits in an underserved neighbourhood school resulting in reduced traffic speeds; and the establishment of school zone standards that set the stage for improving safety around all schools.

“Lincoln’s work to prioritize safe walking and biking for youth embodies Vision Zero for Youth leadership,” said Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School, UNC Highway Safety Research Center. “We are honored to recognize the accomplishments of the City of Lincoln, and hope the impact of the city and its partners’ efforts on behalf of children’s pedestrian safety will continue to grow in the years ahead.”

“Making sure Lincoln’s littlest residents can safely walk, bike or ride to school is a priority we all share,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “As a community, we work together to deliver on this priority, knowing that, as adults, we have a special responsibility to help safeguard our children’s lives as they grow.”

The U.S. Vision Zero for Youth Leadership Award, now in its fifth year, recognizes cities that are leading the way in prioritizing children’s pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Past recipients include the City of Los Angeles and L.A. Unified School District; New York City and its Vision Zero Task Force; the City of Fremont, CA; and the City of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools. The U.S. Award is presented by the Vision Zero for Youth initiative, led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School with the support of the FIA Foundation and the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. The U.S. Award program is informed by an advisory committee comprised of international road safety organizations including ITE, NACTO, Safe Kids, FHWA, Safe Routes Partnership, FIA Foundation, Atlanta DOT, COMTO, NHTSA and others.

The Award was announced publicly at the Lifesavers Conference, the largest gathering of highway safety professionals in the United States.

“A city that protects its children is a city that protects everyone. The way that the City of Lincoln has brought focus on safe walking and cycling for youth by targeting historically underserved communities symbolizes a critical turning point in striving for equity in mobility in our country,” said Natalie Draisin, Director of the North America Office & United Nations Representative at the FIA Foundation. “We’d like to thank our committee of U.S. road safety leaders for their efforts to select the recipient of this prestigious award.”