Palm Desert Vision Zero Strategy

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What is Vision Zero?

Vision Zero is an international initiative aiming to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries while promoting safe and accessible transportation choices for everyone. With a growing presence in the United States, where the incidence of fatal and serious injury accidents has surged in recent times, Vision Zero is particularly focused on addressing the heightened risks faced by pedestrians and cyclists, who are increasingly involved in severe crashes and hit-and-run incidents. Vision Zero advocates strive to counter these concerning trends, acknowledging that every life affected by a preventable accident is a loss that should be avoided.

Vision Zero in Palm Desert

The City of Palm Desert won a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant to advance its vision of a safe and well-connected transportation system that prioritizes safety, health, and access for the community’s most vulnerable road users, including school-aged children and seniors. To achieve these goals, Palm Desert’s Vision Zero Strategy seeks to identify barriers to safe walking and bicycling on routes frequented by Palm Desert’s K-12 public school students and senior residents and to develop solutions in consultation with the community, public sector partners, and city leadership. Selected strategies will be submitted for competitive grant opportunities beginning in 2025 to secure substantial funding to implement transformative infrastructure projects.

Palm Desert’s Vision Zero Strategy also includes a public engagement and activation campaign featuring Palm Desert's VIPs — Very Important Pedestrians — to generate awareness, promote safe travel behaviors, and encourage the use of existing safe walking and bicycling infrastructure. The campaign media include billboards, public murals, targeted social media campaigns, and local radio station announcements. Watch the PSA here.

Community Input

Safe Routes to Schools and Safe Routes for Older Adults Recommendations

Please click the links below to view the Safe Routes for Schools and Safe Routes for Older Adults concept plans, which illustrate recommendations aimed at improving walking and bicycling near public schools attended by Palm Desert K-12 students and in three key older adult priority areas in Palm Desert. These recommendations were developed with input from community members, guided by in-person walk audits, and in collaboration with staff from the City of Palm Desert, the City of La Quinta, the Desert Sands Unified School District, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.

Past Virtual Workshops
The City hosted two virtual workshops in December 2024, where attendees learned more about the proposed recommendations. You can view recordings of both workshops using the links below:

Additional Outreach and Engagement Activities

Additional outreach and engagement activities included workshops, walk audits, open houses, and surveys conducted for both plans. These activities occurred during spring 2023 and fall 2024 and are detailed in the Outreach and Engagement Findings Summary Memorandum.

Project Status and Timeline

In January 2024, the City of Palm Desert selected a consultant team led by Alta Planning + Design to deliver its Vision Zero Strategy. The project is scheduled to extend through July 2025, culminating in a series of plans and strategy documents to guide future investments and programmatic activities related to improving safe, active travel for school-aged children, older adults, and the community at large.

The following project activities are currently underway:

  • Finalization and prioritization of recommendations.
  • Development of a Systemic Safety Analysis and Safety Data Dashboard.
  • The City Council will vote on adopting the Vision Zero Strategy and Resolution on May 22, 2025.
  • Submission of an SS4A Implementation Grant Application by June 26, 2025.

Please note that once available, the final project documents, including the Safe Routes to School Plan, Safe Routes for Seniors Plan, and Vision Zero Implementation Strategy, will be posted to this webpage. Additional details on accessing the Safety Data Dashboard will be shared once available.

Measuring Progress Towards Vision Zero

At the conclusion of the project, the City of Palm Desert will publish and maintain an interactive Vision Zero Safety Data Dashboard. The Dashboard will contain key project findings and infographics that illustrate the current state of safety in Palm Desert and share solutions that can be implemented to move Palm Desert closer to its traffic safety goals. The final drafts of the Safe Routes to School Plan and Safe Routes for Older Adults Plan will be accessible through the Vision Zero Safety Data Dashboard.


What is Vision Zero?

Vision Zero is an international initiative aiming to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries while promoting safe and accessible transportation choices for everyone. With a growing presence in the United States, where the incidence of fatal and serious injury accidents has surged in recent times, Vision Zero is particularly focused on addressing the heightened risks faced by pedestrians and cyclists, who are increasingly involved in severe crashes and hit-and-run incidents. Vision Zero advocates strive to counter these concerning trends, acknowledging that every life affected by a preventable accident is a loss that should be avoided.

Vision Zero in Palm Desert

The City of Palm Desert won a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant to advance its vision of a safe and well-connected transportation system that prioritizes safety, health, and access for the community’s most vulnerable road users, including school-aged children and seniors. To achieve these goals, Palm Desert’s Vision Zero Strategy seeks to identify barriers to safe walking and bicycling on routes frequented by Palm Desert’s K-12 public school students and senior residents and to develop solutions in consultation with the community, public sector partners, and city leadership. Selected strategies will be submitted for competitive grant opportunities beginning in 2025 to secure substantial funding to implement transformative infrastructure projects.

Palm Desert’s Vision Zero Strategy also includes a public engagement and activation campaign featuring Palm Desert's VIPs — Very Important Pedestrians — to generate awareness, promote safe travel behaviors, and encourage the use of existing safe walking and bicycling infrastructure. The campaign media include billboards, public murals, targeted social media campaigns, and local radio station announcements. Watch the PSA here.

Community Input

Safe Routes to Schools and Safe Routes for Older Adults Recommendations

Please click the links below to view the Safe Routes for Schools and Safe Routes for Older Adults concept plans, which illustrate recommendations aimed at improving walking and bicycling near public schools attended by Palm Desert K-12 students and in three key older adult priority areas in Palm Desert. These recommendations were developed with input from community members, guided by in-person walk audits, and in collaboration with staff from the City of Palm Desert, the City of La Quinta, the Desert Sands Unified School District, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.

Past Virtual Workshops
The City hosted two virtual workshops in December 2024, where attendees learned more about the proposed recommendations. You can view recordings of both workshops using the links below:

Additional Outreach and Engagement Activities

Additional outreach and engagement activities included workshops, walk audits, open houses, and surveys conducted for both plans. These activities occurred during spring 2023 and fall 2024 and are detailed in the Outreach and Engagement Findings Summary Memorandum.

Project Status and Timeline

In January 2024, the City of Palm Desert selected a consultant team led by Alta Planning + Design to deliver its Vision Zero Strategy. The project is scheduled to extend through July 2025, culminating in a series of plans and strategy documents to guide future investments and programmatic activities related to improving safe, active travel for school-aged children, older adults, and the community at large.

The following project activities are currently underway:

  • Finalization and prioritization of recommendations.
  • Development of a Systemic Safety Analysis and Safety Data Dashboard.
  • The City Council will vote on adopting the Vision Zero Strategy and Resolution on May 22, 2025.
  • Submission of an SS4A Implementation Grant Application by June 26, 2025.

Please note that once available, the final project documents, including the Safe Routes to School Plan, Safe Routes for Seniors Plan, and Vision Zero Implementation Strategy, will be posted to this webpage. Additional details on accessing the Safety Data Dashboard will be shared once available.

Measuring Progress Towards Vision Zero

At the conclusion of the project, the City of Palm Desert will publish and maintain an interactive Vision Zero Safety Data Dashboard. The Dashboard will contain key project findings and infographics that illustrate the current state of safety in Palm Desert and share solutions that can be implemented to move Palm Desert closer to its traffic safety goals. The final drafts of the Safe Routes to School Plan and Safe Routes for Older Adults Plan will be accessible through the Vision Zero Safety Data Dashboard.


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  • Share Is there a bike lane away from cars that spans from Palm Desert to LaQuinta? Or another area we can bike in the valley away from the cars on 111? It seems all the bike routes eventually lead to having to ride next to cars on 111 which isn't safe! on Facebook Share Is there a bike lane away from cars that spans from Palm Desert to LaQuinta? Or another area we can bike in the valley away from the cars on 111? It seems all the bike routes eventually lead to having to ride next to cars on 111 which isn't safe! on Twitter Share Is there a bike lane away from cars that spans from Palm Desert to LaQuinta? Or another area we can bike in the valley away from the cars on 111? It seems all the bike routes eventually lead to having to ride next to cars on 111 which isn't safe! on Linkedin Email Is there a bike lane away from cars that spans from Palm Desert to LaQuinta? Or another area we can bike in the valley away from the cars on 111? It seems all the bike routes eventually lead to having to ride next to cars on 111 which isn't safe! link

    Is there a bike lane away from cars that spans from Palm Desert to LaQuinta? Or another area we can bike in the valley away from the cars on 111? It seems all the bike routes eventually lead to having to ride next to cars on 111 which isn't safe!

    Kim asked 11 months ago

    Dear Kim,

    Thank you for reaching out to the City of Palm Desert with your inquiry regarding bike lanes and safe biking routes in the Coachella Valley.

    We understand your concern about the safety of biking near major highways, particularly on Route 111. We are pleased to inform you that the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) is currently developing a comprehensive valley-wide bike trail known as CV-Link. This ambitious project aims to provide a dedicated biking and walking pathway that spans across several cities in the Coachella Valley, including Palm Desert and La Quinta, ensuring that cyclists can enjoy a safe and scenic route away from major highways.

    While some cities have opted out of this project, CV-Link is designed to connect a substantial portion of the valley through a network of pathways specifically created for cyclists and pedestrians. This will significantly enhance the safety and accessibility of biking throughout the region.

    For more detailed information about the CV-Link project, its current status, and future developments, we encourage you to visit their official website at CV-Link.

    We appreciate your interest in making our community a safer and more enjoyable place for cyclists. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Best regards,

    Ryland Penta