Vision Zero Success Story – Communications & Outreach

Background

In 2017, the City of Boulder developed and implemented a robust communication and outreach program, called “Heads Up Boulder,” to continue its goal of eliminating all serious traffic crashes involving all modes of transportation. The City also aimed to increase Vision Zero awareness and enhance public involvement.

The City promoted Vision Zero safety education campaigns across multiple social media platforms and at community events. The communication ranged from traditional outlets (high visibility bus ads and television interviews) to social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat).

“Heads Up Boulder” aimed to build greater awareness of traffic safety citywide and for all users of the transportation system. In addition, the campaign focused on 18-24 year olds. This population is the age group involved in the most crashes. The City developed tailored outreach programs to reach this demographic. For instance, due to the popularity of the Snapchat mobile application platform with this target audience, the City developed ads specifically for the platform.

The City also partnered with local advocacy groups and the University of Colorado Boulder to increase the influence of the campaigns, as many of the crashes involving 18-24 year old persons occurred near the University.