INDIANAPOLIS — The City-County Council has named the members of its Vision Zero Task Force, but is moving the group's first public meeting.
The Indianapolis City-County Council passed the Vision Zero proposal on Aug. 12.
The proposal is a strategy aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists around the city to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.
In August 2024, 103 pedestrians were hit by a driver in Indianapolis — seven of those people died. It was the worst month the city has seen since Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis started tracking incidents more than two years ago.
In preparation for the first meeting, Sara Hindi, chief communications officer, said the Department of Public Works (DPW) had an "internal meeting" on Sept. 23, 2024, with various city agencies and City-County Councilors John Barth, Andy Nielsen and Derek Cahill.
Hindi said the purpose of the meeting was to emphasize the importance of this Task Force, to discuss appointees and have the first initial introduction meeting with Burgess and Niple, the engineering firm that will act as a project manager for this Task Force.
“As Chair of the Vision Zero Taskforce, I am committed to ensuring that we prioritize the safety and well-being of all Indianapolis residents—whether they walk, bike, or drive,” Barth said. “This taskforce represents a unified effort to address critical safety concerns and create a city where no one has to fear a fatal or life-altering accident on our streets. Together, we will build safer, more inclusive neighborhoods for everyone.”
The Task Force is made up of 15 appointees, chosen by the City-Council president and mayor.
The council appointees are:
- John Barth, City-County Councilor, Chair
- Andy Nielsen, City-County Councilor
- Derek Cahill, City-County Councilor
- Lucas Niekamp, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office
- Addison Pollock, AARP
- Taylor Firestine, Health by Design
- Damon Richards, Recreational Cycling Community
- Dr. William Murphy, Indianapolis Public Schools
The names of the appointees came out after Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis called out the Vision Zero Task Force at 8 a.m. on Oct. 1 for failing to meet its "first key deadline," which was having its first public meeting by Oct. 1.
The Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis said they learned that the Task Force had privately met on Sept. 23 and brought up the fact that the names hadn't been mentioned yet.
Holt then called for the chair of the Task Force to release the names of the Task Force members "as soon as possible" and to schedule a meeting in the next 10 days.
"After nearly five years of inaction, this is not how we wanted to see Vision Zero get off the ground here in Indianapolis," said Eric Holt, founder of Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis. "While we had hoped for greater transparency as we work toward making Indianapolis safer for our vulnerable road users, we are unfortunately not surprised by these events. Safety doesn't appear to be a priority."
The Task Force then released the date of their first "official" meeting, which is Wednesday, Oct. 23, as well as the names of those appointed just after 1 p.m. on Oct. 1.
At the meeting, officials said the appointed members will start laying out "actionable" steps to implement the proposal.