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Minneapolis News
MPR News Staff

Report: Minneapolis traffic-related deaths dropped ‘significantly’ between 2023 and 2024

Minnesota Restaurant Patio Crash
The wreckage of a car is shown at the scene where a car drove into the patio seating area of the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, Minn., Sept. 1, 2024.
Jeff Wheeler | Star Tribune via AP

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Minneapolis city officials say efforts to reduce traffic fatalities are showing signs of success. Ethan Fawley of the city's Vision Zero initiative presented a report to members of a city council committee Thursday showing that the number of traffic deaths dropped between 2023 and 2024.

There were 16 fatalities last year compared to 26 in 2023.  However, Fawley added that while the drop is significant, the numbers of deaths are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Fawley began his presentation, as he has in past meetings, by personalizing the numbers.  He read some of the names of the people who died in traffic crashes last year - including two women he identified by their first names, Rose and Esther.

 “...who were best friends and described as pillars of the community who brought love to those around them,” he said. “They worked as community navigators for the Cultural Wellness Center for more than 25 years. On their way to visit a friend, they were hit and killed by a driver who ran a red light at high speed.”

The Dec.16, 2024 crash killed Esther Jean Fulks, 53 and Rose Elaine Reece, 57. A 38-year-old woman was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash.  

As with that crash, Fawley noted that the majority of traffic fatalities involved vehicles traveling at high speeds. 

Fawley also said the city is moving forward on a pilot program to install cameras designed to identify and ticket drivers who run red lights and exceed the speed limit. He said the city has more than 50 candidate locations for the cameras.

"We're getting community feedback from those currently,” he said. “And we will be selecting from those five initial locations that we’ll be having for the launch of speed safety cameras. And then we will look to expand from there, adding red light cameras at additional locations over time."

Fawley added that the installation of traffic calming and safety features like bollards and curb bump outs are yielding positive results. He said over the last four years the city has added the safety features in 250 intersections. 

“I think we've only had one fatal crash at a location where we've installed treatments,” he said.