County Executive Bello Launches Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce

October 22nd, 2026

Taskforce goal is to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in Monroe County

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Monroe County Executive Adam Bello today kicked-off the first official meeting of the Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce. This taskforce brings together government and community partners with the goal of promoting transportation policies that seek to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries countywide.

Monroe County has averaged 47 traffic-related fatalities each year for the past three years, and sees an average of roughly 3,700 personal injury crashes per year.

"Zero traffic-related fatalities, zero serious injuries," said County Executive Bello. "The Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce will work to make this ambitious goal a reality, working collaboratively to create safer roadways for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Each member of this taskforce was selected for their shared commitment towards preventing tragedies and creating the safest transportation systems possible throughout Monroe County."

The goals of Monroe County's Vision Zero Taskforce are to:

1. Improve Safety: Identify and address locations, behaviors, and systemic factors associated with fatal and serious injury crashes.
2. Coordinate Efforts: Strengthen collaboration among County, municipal, state, regional, public safety, transportation, and community partners.
3. Support Safe System Strategies: Promote roadway designs, speeds, policies, and practices that reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes.
4. Expand Education and Awareness: Increase public awareness of safe transportation behaviors and shared responsibility for roadway safety.
5. Use Data to Guide Action: Use crash data and other information to identify priorities, evaluate strategies, and track progress.
6. Advance Local Safety Efforts: Support municipalities and partner agencies in developing and implementing transportation safety strategies.

The Monroe County Vision Zero Taskforce is comprised of representatives from throughout the community, including partners in law enforcement, healthcare, local municipalities, school districts, advocacy groups, citizen representation, and more. A full list of participating taskforce members can be found at https://www.monroecounty.gov/visionzero.

County Executive Bello originally announced his intention to form a county-wide taskforce during his State of the County address in June, at which time only one other county in New York State had adopted a Vision Zero initiative.

"We are deeply grateful to County Executive Bello for committing Monroe County to Vision Zero. But declaring Vision Zero won't alone end fatalities and serious injuries. That will take sustained leadership from all areas of our community," said Cody Donahue, Co-Executive Director of Reconnect Rochester. "Residents are increasingly aware that old traffic engineering frameworks don't work for our communities today. From neighbors demanding safer crossings on Penfield Rd to residents of Chili attending Town Board meetings to urge for more sidewalks and bike lanes, people want safer streets."

The Vision Zero Taskforce will complement several traffic safety initiatives that Monroe County has undertaken like the Community Traffic Safety Team and the School Bus Safety Program.

The Community Traffic Safety Team - a first-in-the-state initiative focused on resident input of traffic safety concerns - will expand under Vision Zero. County Executive Bello launched a new online StoryMap where residents can easily access updated traffic safety statistics in Monroe County, learn about the work of the traffic safety team, and view a dashboard of citizen-reported concerns. The StoryMap can be accessed at https://www.monroecounty.gov/ts.

Monroe County has also implemented the School Bus Safety Program, which since its inception in 2023 has seen 9 districts implement the technology with over 20,500 citations issued to drivers who have passed stopped school buses. The School Bus Safety Program allows school districts to opt-in to the program free of charge and receive stop-arm cameras that are installed on buses to discourage reckless driving.

Sharing this priority for student safety at the bus stop, the University of Rochester Medical Center's Kessler Trauma Center has recently partnered with the County to launch Spot the Stop, an educational campaign surrounding the dangers of passing stopped school buses.

"Spot the Stop is an opportunity to turn data into action and help prevent injuries before they happen," said Sarah Gorman, Trauma Program Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator with URMC's Kessler Trauma Center. "Through this initiative, we're using local data to guide our outreach, educate drivers about the dangers of passing stopped school buses, and empower families to reinforce safe pedestrian behaviors with their children. By addressing both driver behavior and student safety, we're working to create safer communities and ensure every child can get to and from school safely."

Bello explained that each of these programs will be complemented by the efforts of the Vision Zero Taskforce, promoting greater collaboration county-wide in the effort to decrease traffic fatalities and serious injuries.