Each spring and fall, SEMCOG leads a coordinated education “blitz” on transportation safety called Safe Streets. This initiative plays a pivotal role in aligning transportation safety education for the general public with the needs of our system. SEMCOG members, along with other Safe Streets partners, promote safety by sharing various giveaways (practical items such as bike lights along with safety literature for people who walk, bike, and drive) and educational media products (like videos).
SEMCOG makes these practical and digital items available for member communities via order form (shared via Regional Update in spring and fall) and the Safe Streets website, respectively. Spring materials have already been ordered and distributed to over 100 communities. While supplies are limited by budgetary constraints, SEMCOG is pleased to work with our members to provide materials at relevant community spaces and events whenever possible.
While SEMCOG coordinates a regional media campaign, the greatest impact comes from person-to-person education and engagement at the local level. Schools and communities across Southeast Michigan have been prioritizing safety for years, including infrastructure projects to create a safer environment and ongoing efforts to provide education and encouragement on using the system safely. This year, the Safe Streets team – in partnership with SEMCOG Vice Chairperson / Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak and township staff – is supporting a pilot approach for Safe Streets in the initiative of an up-and-coming safety champion.
Evan Zhen (pictured bottom-right in image above) is a ninth grader from Canton Township with a passion for safety education. Earlier this year, he reached out to us with interest in being part of Safe Streets. Evan spoke at SEMCOG’s Adopting a Culture of Safety webinar about some of his prior efforts, and we are excited to help him take the next step in reaching people. Supported by SEMCOG and Canton Township, Evan will be engaging residents with fun and educational activities and giveaways at multiple local events this spring. We look forward to sharing more of Evan’s story – including lessons learned that might be replicated across the region – later this year in the Fiscal Year 2025 Safe Streets Implementation Report (FY 2024 report).
Getting involved in the Spring Safe Streets Campaign
“Driving Store,” the latest installment in the Safe Streets series, utilizes irony to illustrate the danger of unsafe driving behaviors (such as speeding) by placing them out of context in a grocery store.
Short videos provides simple reminders on safe behaviors! The complete Safe Streets video playlist is available on YouTube and provided for download from the Safe Streets Resources page. The videos can be used on social media, websites, community TV, in e-newsletters, and more.
Starting on Monday, May 5, 2025, SEMCOG will launch its spring safety education media blitz. Please be sure to follow us and share these messages with your network. This is a critical time to reinforce safety, as the warmer weather encourages more outdoor activities like walking and biking, and increased commuter speeds from the pandemic have led to more severe crashes.
Share how you’re using our materials and messages! Send us pictures or details from your events, and we’ll highlight them in the future.
Media toolkit
To support the campaign, SEMCOG offers a variety of materials that you can use to spread the word on social media, websites, community TV, e-newsletters, and more. We encourage everyone to share transportation safety messages with their community! The media toolkit includes:
- A series of short videos (available for download)
- Safety tip messages for social media
- Safety pamphlets and tip cards, which can printed on-demand
- Story template for newsletters or media releases
To learn more about Safe Streets Southeast Michigan, visit SafeStreetsMi.org.
Safe Streets in the News
Thank you to WDIV Local 4 News/ClickOnDetroit for featuring our campaign! In the interview, we discussed the increased risk of crashes involving high speeds and vulnerable road users and the efforts across Southeast Michigan to improve road safety. Check out the full interview to learn how we’re working together to promote safer streets this season.
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