The Vision Zero safety programs within the City of Chicago and the Los Angeles Police Department are among the winners of new grants awarded by the National Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic.

The new Safe System Innovation Grants are part of the national Road to Zero initiative, which is aimed at eliminating road deaths and injuries. The grants were awarded to organizations demonstrating innovative approaches to achieving the initiative’s mission.

The seven grant winners are the City of Chicago Vision Zero, Los Angeles Police Department Vision Zero, National Association of County Engineers, San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency Vision Zero, Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute), Roadway Safety Foundation, and National Complete Streets Coalition/Smart Growth America.

The grants totaled $1 million. There were 62 grant applications received.

“Preliminary estimates indicate that we lost as many as 40,000 people last year in motor vehicle crashes, underscoring the need to act urgently,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “We had an impressive pool of applicants, but the creativity and carefully considered strategies of the grant recipients set them apart. We look forward to working with them on our shared journey toward zero deaths.”