Councillors in Trafford have resolved to make the borough's roads safer following a series of fatalities and accidents resulting in life-changing injuries. At a full meeting of the Green Party appealed for the authority to sign up to 'Vision Zero' - setting a target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2040.
The call comes after a series of crashes on local roads around Altrincham, Broadheath and Stretford, particularly affecting young people. Greens pointed out that London, Leeds and Liverpool have already signed up to Vision Zero, along with many other towns and cities around the world.
They say it is needed because expected improvements in casualty rates have failed to materialise over the last decade and that the human cost is 'heartbroken families alongside massive social and economic costs'. Prior to the meeting, Altrincham Coun Michael Welton, deputy leader of the Greens group, said: "Fifty-five people were killed or seriously injured on Trafford’s roads in 2019.
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"That’s 25 per cent higher than the number in 2011. We've asked councillors to imagine what they would say to those 55 people or their families if they were here watching. Is the council doing enough to make our streets safer?"
"We don’t accept that road casualties are inevitable, in the same way that society doesn’t tolerate deaths on our railways or planes. It is too easy to blame individual actions for collisions, when there is so much that can be done to eliminate risks. We can build safe junctions and crossings, reduce speed limits, implement school streets, create safe space for cycling and robustly enforce rules around safe driving, parking and vehicle standards."
The Green Party’s newest councillor, Jane Leicester, says it is a big issue for residents in her ward in Hale, where there have been several recent petitions for safety improvements on local roads. But she added that there is much to be gained beyond saving lives. She said: “Unsafe roads are a major cause of high levels of inactivity. Safer streets means more people walking and cycling, which is great for public health, and can also help reduce air pollution, carbon emissions, congestion and noise."
The controlling Labour group amended the Greens' motion stating that the council 'seeks to take a bold approach to the safety of those travelling on its roads and especially those who are the most vulnerable, saying: "We recognise that work to promote Vision Zero is being actively considered by Greater Manchester of public health."
It went on: "The council should investigate the feasibility of introducing a Vision Zero action plan that drives progress on road safety and that includes an ambitious target to cut road deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2040 with an interim target of 50 per cent by 2030."
After the meeting Coun Welton said: “Trafford residents want safer roads. They make that clear in petition after petition. To get there we need ambitious targets to cut road deaths and serious injuries.
"We welcome the overwhelming support councillors gave for the principles of our Vision Zero motion at the meeting. Vision Zero is fast becoming the gold standard for councils serious about saving lives on our roads. We expect to see it adopted in full by Trafford and the other Greater Manchester councils before too long.”
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