RICHMOND, Va. -- In the first three months of 2023, Richmond has seen nine people walking killed and more than 160 others injured, according to the city's VisionZero dashboard.
The city uses that tool in an effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries, while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.
Acting Major Donald Davenport with Richmond Police said different city agencies are working to combat it.
He believes it is especially necessary coming off of 2022 having more pedestrian injuries than in the last 14 years.
“I think it is critical to improve our roadways and to bring in safety devices,” he said.
The department said speed is biggest factor in these crashes but that other things like inattentive driving, people being on their cell phones and not paying attention, drunken driving and not not paying attention to people walking.
Officials hope a new nearly $9 million grant from the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program will help decrease crashes and draw drivers' attention that roads are a shared space.
Mike Sawyer, Richmond's transportation engineer, said the project will focus on 500 intersections. Workers plan to add different warning signs, higher visibility crosswalks, traffic signal backplates and more.
“We are going to be able to touch one in ten intersections in the city," Sawyer said. "Those that are on the high injury network, those that are on pedestrian safety corridors as well as those in underserved communities.”
While the city works on implementing the project and officers continue with campaigns to increase enforcement in high impact areas, they need everyone to do their part and pay attention — whether you are in a vehicle, walking or on a bicycle.
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