Athens-Clarke County’s plan to reduce roadway fatalities

WUGA | By Havivah Saltz

Published September 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM EDT

A bicyclist rides in a green bike lane along Prince Avenue while several people in safety vests stand beside a sign requesting feedback on a pilot project. — The site of the Prince Avenue Pilot Project, one of the projects that aims to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

Athens adopted Vision Zero in 2022 as part of a nationwide commitment to safer roadways. As part of that project, the Mayor and Commission voted to adopt a Safety Action Plan in April of this year. Even with those safeguards, Athens saw its ninth fatal crash of the year earlier this week.

WUGA’s Havivah Saltz sat down with Katie Goodrum, an urban planner and Vision Zero Administrator for Athens, to discuss how our local government plans to reduce fatal crashes and serious roadway injuries in the future.

You can find more information at accgov.com.

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Havivah Saltz

Havivah Saltz has been with WUGA since 2023 as an on-air host and the producer for African Perspectives. She got her start in radio on WOBC FM at Oberlin College (class of ‘23), and she’s also worked as an on-air host on Athens' Power 100.1 and Magic 102.1. She is currently the interim producer of Athens News Matters. Outside of work, you can find Havivah making art, writing fiction, practicing Japanese, petting her very round cat, and watching concerning amounts of TV.

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