Something Needs to Change
Take the Safety Priorities Survey
Every year, people in New Orleans lose family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to traffic crashes – crashes that are often dismissed as unavoidable “accidents.” The Safe Streets for All (SS4A) New Orleans Safety Action Plan is a shift in how we approach street safety, starting with the clear and urgent belief: traffic deaths and life-altering injuries are preventable.
Between 2019 and 2023, 297 people were killed, and 1,864 people were seriously injured on New Orleans streets. In total, over 47,000 injuries were reported across nearly 85,000 total crashes. We're taking action to change this reality because no one should be at risk just moving through their neighborhood.
The impacts of these fatal and serious injury (FSI) crashes in our community are not felt equally, either. Men were 3.4 times more likely to be killed and 1.5 times more likely to be severely injured than women. Nearly half (46%) of all FSIs were adults aged 25 to 44, despite that age group being just 31% of the population of New Orleans.
Over five years, 560 people were killed or severely injured while bicycling, and walking made up 26% of all fatalities and serious injuries. People walking or riding motorcycles were more than 16 times as likely to be killed or seriously injured as people inside cars, and people bicycling were nearly 11 times as likely.
The SS4A Project Team has identified the streets with the highest frequency of serious crashes (known as a High Injury Network along with an in-depth analysis of crash factors. These results are available by viewing this summary presentation.
Recommended safety actions and projects will be shared on this website and in upcoming public meetings.
Did you know? After the fall daylight savings time change, nighttime traffic crashes overall increase 28% and fatal crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians increase 13%.
Fall Public Meetings
This fall, the City shared parts of the draft plan—online and at community events—to gather your feedback. During these meetings, the project team:
View the Meeting Boards
View the Meeting Presentation
Take the Safety Priorities Survey
Virtual Meeting
A virtual public meeting was held on November 20th, 2025 (view below). View the presentation slides.
What We've Heard
December 2025 Update
During two public meetings held in December 2025, the City and project team shared safety data, draft priorities, and potential solutions—and, most importantly, listened to community members. Residents shared lived experiences, concerns, and ideas about what needs to change to make streets safer for everyone: people driving, walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit.
How Projects Are Chosen
Residents asked clear questions about why some streets are included and others are not. The Plan uses a transparent, data-driven process to prioritize corridors and intersections, based on:
- Crash history and severity
- Risk to people walking, biking, and riding motorcycles
- Speed management needs
- Equity and community disadvantage
- Public and stakeholder input
Some streets that people raised may still appear in the Plan, but not all locations rise to the highest priority tier. This does not mean they are unimportant; it means other streets currently show higher risk or more severe crashes.
What Happens Next
The City is now refining recommendations and preparing the final Safety Action Plan, with completion and approval expected in early 2026. This Plan will guide future funding decisions, grant applications, and safety projects across New Orleans.
Public input remains critical. Community feedback from meetings, surveys, and written comments will continue to shape priorities, implementation, and accountability.
Safe streets are not just about design—they are about care, commitment, and follow-through. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, concerns, and ideas. Together, we can move closer to streets where everyone feels safe getting where they need to go.
Summer 2025 Update
To date, the project team has collected over 25,000 data points from nearly 2,000 participants. From May to August, the SS4A Project Team hosted an interactive Safety Summit, conducted an opt-in survey and public polling, and gathered safety input through an interactive online map. Participants learned about safety trends, identified specific needs, and shared priorities for making New Orleans streets safer for transportation.
Nearly 1,500 people responded to surveys, pointing to poor road design, lack of infrastructure, and risky and illegal behaviors as major reasons for the high number of deaths and serious injuries. The top factors they cited were:
In general, these results tell us that residents want safer walking and biking routes, reduced vehicle speeds, and more visible/accessible pedestrian crossings.
Review additional public input results in this summary presentation.
Sign the Pledge!
What is the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan?
The Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan is a coordinated, citywide effort to understand and address the root causes of fatal and serious crashes. It will:
- Use crash history and predictive analysis
- Build on community input
- Recommend projects, policies, and programs that improve safety and mobility for all
This work is grounded in the Safe Systems Approach, a nationally recognized model that focuses on designing roadways to anticipate human mistakes and reduce the severity of crashes.
The Safe Systems Approach is built on six principles:
- Death and serious injury are unacceptable
- Humans make mistakes
- Humans are vulnerable
- Responsibility is shared
- Safety is proactive
- Redundancy is crucial
To put these principles into action, we’ll focus on the five Safe Systems Elements:
- Safe Road Users
- Safe Vehicles
- Safe Speeds
- Safe Roads
- Post-Crash Care
The SS4A New Orleans Safety Action Plan builds on past efforts and lays the groundwork for state and federal investment. By working together, we can secure funding to implement real, lasting changes across our neighborhoods.
Let’s build a safer New Orleans together.
New Orleans Safety and Mobility Summit
On May 17th, the City of New Orleans hosted an interactive workshop to involve the community in the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan. Attendees learned about recent traffic safety trends, helped identify specific locations to make improvements, and shared priorities for policies and programming to make New Orleans streets safer for transportation.
