Rochester has the highest traffic fatality rate of any mid-sized city in upstate New York according to state data and city officials are taking steps to course correct through street design, policies, technology and education.
Members of the ROC Vision Zero Task Force — formed as part of an initiative in 2024 — are considering systemic-level changes.
One of those changes, outlined in the task force’s latest report released this week, could be lowering the city speed limit to 25 miles per hour.
“We're going to begin the engineering study to lower our speed limits to 25 miles an hour,” said Councilmember Mitch Gruber, who also co-chairs the committee. “That's going to make a big difference. That's going to change the driving reality for a lot of people.”
About 10 fatal crashes per 100 thousand people happen in Rochester each year, according to data from the state Department of Transportation.
“It is very common to see children walking to school, walking to the parks, riding bicycles,” said Luis Burgos, a long-time resident of North Clinton Avenue. “And unfortunately, it's not uncommon to see very irresponsible activity on the street in terms of speeding. We've seen accidents, people injured."
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), pedestrians who are hit by a vehicle at 25 mph have a 32% risk of serious injury or death. That rate more than doubles at 35mph.
“Undeniably, we have an environment where people are more distracted driving now than ever before. There's bigger cars, which means crashes lead to more fatalities,” Gruber said. “There's lots of different reasons we could talk about, but there's not one singular reason. And similarly, there's not one magic bullet.”
Lowering the speed limit is one of several proposed changes to improve pedestrian safety and reduce fatal traffic crashes as part of the city’s “Roc Vision Zero” plan.
Other potential options on the table include a citywide program to clear sidewalks of snow and ice in the winter, using technology like speed and red-light cameras to enforce traffic laws, and redesigning roadways to add pedestrian crosswalks and bicycle lanes.
“We want it to be a promise that we’ll not accept traffic deaths as inevitable, a promise that safety will not depend on your zip code, and a promise that everyone has a role to play,” said Mayor Malik Evans.
Public forums on the matter are expected to begin this spring.
