We’re halfway through 2025. Where does SLC stand with Vision Zero?

According to Sweet Streets’ SLC Traffic Violence map, we’re up to 9 deaths and 15 injuries* on SLC streets this year. That’s almost as many as the total number of deaths last year—10, and compared to official data from SLC Transportation, similar to the 2020-2024 average of 17 if we project out to the end of 2025.

SLC has been making great strides on safety over the past several years, so what gives? It’s difficult to know with certainty, but major arterial streets are the culprit of many serious injuries and deaths in SLC. Many of the biggest offenders, such as Redwood Rd, State Street, 800 South, 700 East, and 900 West remain mostly untouched. Fortunately, SLC is aware of the issue and plans to target streets like 900 West, 800 South, and Redwood as part of their Vision Zero efforts soon. Many of the necessary improvements would involve state-owned highways, so we’ll have to keep an eye on progress and advocate for *effective* safety measures, not just from the city, but also from UDOT!

SLC Transportation plans to kick off engagement for their Vision Zero Action Plan shortly, so stay tuned for feedback opportunities.

*Note: The Traffic Violence map does not include freeways and relies on police and media reports. Crashes involving injuries are not always reported by the media and thus the injury count is likely an underestimate. 

While arterials represent a small proportion of our streets, most severe or fatal crashes occur on them. We need all of our urban streets to prioritize safety over speed!