In an effort to achieve the City’s goal of "Vision Zero" to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, the Sterling Heights City Council has approved the adoption of the city’s first-ever Comprehensive Transportation Safety Action Plan at its March 17 Regular City Council Meeting. As the first city in Macomb County to take on this initiative, Sterling Heights continues to prioritize roadway safety for all users.
Vision Zero is a global movement that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all. The city of Sterling Heights has committed to achieving this goal by 2050 through the Safe System Approach, strategic planning, engineering advancements, community engagement.
The Comprehensive Transportation Safety Action Plan will push forward our Traffic Calming Program which is designed to address vehicle speeding and traffic safety concerns on city streets. The program enables the citywide Traffic Calming Task Force, an internal group of city administrators and consultants, to collaborate with residents to identify concerns, conduct studies, and implement solutions that reduce vehicle speeds, discourage distracted and reckless driving behaviors, and improve safety for all modes of transportation.
“Our goal is to make Sterling Heights a model city for roadway safety, ensuring that everyone—whether they are driving, biking, or walking—can move about safely and confidently,” said Mayor Michael Taylor. “The Traffic Calming Program is a significant step forward in achieving Vision Zero and making our streets safer for all.”
Sterling Heights encourages residents to actively participate in shaping safer streets through the Traffic Calming Request Form, which allows individuals to report concerns about speeding, excess traffic, bicycle or pedestrian safety, and other roadway hazards. Submitted requests are analyzed and incorporated into the Traffic Calming Program’s Progress Report, a newly developed Safety Calming Dashboard accessible on the city's website at sterlingheights.gov/trafficcalming. This dashboard provides real-time updates on locations under review, the status of ongoing projects, and future implementation plans based on community input and traffic studies.
Building upon previous pilot projects and safety measures, Sterling Heights has already implemented several traffic calming initiatives to enhance roadway safety. These efforts include speed cushions to reduce vehicle speeds while maintaining emergency response times, traffic circles to control traffic flow and encourage safer speeds at intersections, medians to narrow roadways and provide pedestrian refuge areas, curb extensions to slow turning vehicles and create safer pedestrian crossings, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) at key crosswalks to improve visibility for pedestrians, and painted crosswalks with highly visible designs to alert drivers to pedestrian zones.
“The Traffic Calming Program represents a collaborative effort between city leadership, law enforcement, and our residents,” said Interim Police Chief Ken Pappas. “By working together and leveraging data-driven solutions, we are taking meaningful steps to make our roadways safer and more accessible for everyone.”
The city’s most significant traffic calming study under this program will focus on Ryan Road, from 14 Mile Road to Dobry Drive—one of the highest crash corridors in Sterling Heights. Based on extensive community feedback, this study will assess safety improvement concepts aimed at making Ryan Road a safer corridor for all users. Proposed enhancements will focus on reducing crashes, accommodating non-motorized traffic, and optimizing traffic flow.
“The reimagination of Ryan Road is one of our top priorities,” said City Engineer Brent Bashaw. “By taking a proactive approach and seeking federal funding that can help make important safety measures a reality, we are ensuring that Sterling Heights remains at the forefront of traffic safety innovation.”
By adopting the Comprehensive Traffic Safety Action Plan, City Council has positioned Sterling Heights to pursue state and federal grants that can help the city continue to prioritize roadway safety for all residents, businesses and visitors. These initiatives support the City’s goal of achieving Vision Zero—eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2050—while fostering a safer, more connected community.
For more information about the Traffic Calming Program or to submit a request, visit sterlingheights.gov/trafficcalming.