Delaware County Seeking Residents to Serve as Vision Zero Safety Ambassadors
Released: November 3, 2023
Delaware County Seeking Residents to Serve as Vision Zero Safety Ambassadors
Delaware County Council recently announced that the County’s Planning Department is working to implement Vision Zero Delco: Drive Safe, Roll Safe, Walk Safe. The Vision Zero initiative is a global transportation strategy adopted by over 40 U.S. cities that promotes safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all residents and aims for the elimination of traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
To help ensure the successful adoption of this strategy, and to ensure that residents have a voice in the process, Delaware County is now rolling out its Safety Ambassador Pilot Program. This program calls upon Delaware County residents — as many as 15 residents with an interest in addressing issues of traffic safety involving our roadways — to serve as Safety Ambassadors.
The ideal Safety Ambassador is someone who:
Cares about traffic safety
Wants to make Delaware County a safer place for walking, rolling, biking, taking transit, and driving.
Is invested in the community (someone who lives or works in Delaware County)
What Does a Safety Ambassador Do?
Safety Ambassadors will help us make our roads safer for everyone, and will interact with friends, neighbors, and members of their community by conducting engagement activities in their community between November 2023 and April 2024. These activities may include:
Hosting neighborhood meetings
Setting up a table at a local community event
Having a coffee chat with residents after worship services
Creating social media content to help spread the word
Collecting stories about how safe people feel on Delco roads
Each Ambassador will receive a stipend of at least $1,000 as they play a crucial role in the public engagement process. Safety Ambassadors are expected to commit approximately 55 hours for engagement activities and training in total.
Training Will be Provided
Ambassadors will receive specific engagement and canvassing training so they can gather feedback from people walking, rolling, or taking public transportation along high injury corridors and intersections. The purpose of this program is to make sure residents who might not otherwise participate are engaged and heard in the planning process.
Interested? How to Become a Delaware County Safety Ambassador
Residents interested in learning more about the Safety Ambassador program and how to participate can complete a brief survey (takes about 10 minutes to complete). Over the next few weeks, Delaware County will contact selected residents and discuss participation and training.
Want more Information?
Check out the Vision Zero Action Plan for Delaware County website at delcopa.gov/VisionZeroDelco to learn more.
