LINCOLN- For the first time in state history, the Nebraska Department of Transportation has added considerations of safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other "vulnerable road users" in its annual road safety plan. The Department released its updated Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which goes through 2026, setting its goals and strategies for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on Nebraska's highways and local roads.

This year, the plan included an assessment of the risks faced by non-motorists on the road, a change that was required by the 2021 Federal Infrastructure Act. Vicki Kramer, the state's transportation director, said the addition was an effort to ensure the department is serving all Nebraskans, not just motorists.

"Developing real-world strategies to address the concerns of all Nebraskans helps us increase safety on our transportation system," said Kramer, "We have a shared responsibility to achieve zero deaths on Nebraska's roadways, and the Vulnerable Road User Assessment is another tool to help us work toward that." According to the updated report, the number of fatalities for pedestrians and bicyclists nationally climbed from around 5,000 in 2011 to nearly 7,500 in 2020.

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