There’s room to intensify and sharpen our focus to make Davidson roads safer. VisionZero initiatives, which trace their origins back to recommendations from the Pedestrian Safety Task Force I co-chaired, are a terrific start. They include much-needed infrastructure changes that had to originate in Town Hall.
Successful outcomes, though, depend on keeping the issue front of mind for everyone, because the infrastructure only works if everyone traveling in and through Davidson engages actively in safe behaviors. Changes in behavior take time and lots of reinforcement.
To that end, the Town should look for ways to harness the energy of the entire community. We could start by opening more opportunities for community service organizations, local nonprofits, and neighborhood leaders to step out in front on this issue. It’s in the civic arena where the case for change is made. By inviting more people to the table and giving them reasons to plug in and stay engaged, we ultimately get more traction for our infrastructure investments.
Davidson has always punched above its weight when Town Hall mobilizes and empowers citizens to elevate issues beyond the administrative realm and firmly seat them in the civic arena. Keeping citizens in the game for the long run is at least as important. We get the most from Town Hall resources when they spark and champion citizen action.
(This post is excerpted from my responses to a series of candidate questions posed by Davidson’s online local news resource: News of Davidson. The full article appeared on that site on Friday, August 29, 2025 and can be reached here.)
