Vision Zero Youth Leadership

In 2023, Maryland’s Highway Safety Office awarded WABA a grant to establish a Vision Zero Youth Leadership Institute in Prince George’s County, MD. This Institute is dedicated to empowering youth to become Vision Zero and transportation safety ambassadors in their communities through hosting youth focused events, highlighting the critical importance of achieving Vision Zero in Maryland. To implement this project, WABA has a dedicated Youth Organizer who oversees the institute. Additionally, WABA has four paid youth interns who are part of the inaugural cohort. 

The students work to develop a youth friendly Vision Zero Toolkit to teach other youth about transportation safety, and how to implement transportation safety projects in the community, such as how to host a walk audit, or how to contact an elected official about transportation safety. Additionally, the cohort worked with PGCPS schools to host a trail ride at Bladensburg Waterfront Park as part of the PGCPS Environmental Alliance Summit in April ‘24. Throughout the year, the cohort met with Prince George’s County elected officials, county planners, Maryland Department of Transportation staff, and transportation safety advocates to fully understand how these different entities work together to create safer infrastructure in the county. Finally, the cohort held a WABA first- Youth Transportation Safety Town Hall in April ‘24, at the Hyattsville Library. At the town hall, the cohort addressed the audience on Vision Zero, the benefit of pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, and transportation and the environment.