Ann Arbor Adopts Systemic Approach to Road Safety Learning

Ann Arbor, Michigan, is pioneering a more nuanced approach to road safety by shifting its focus from identifying individual fault in traffic crashes to understanding the complex systemic factors at play. This strategic change is being driven by the city’s multidisciplinary Crash Response team, which meets monthly to dissect serious incidents, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

A Systemic View of Crashes

Malisa McCreedy, Transportation Manager for the City of Ann Arbor and a member of Strong Towns, recognised that traffic crashes are rarely the result of a single error. Instead, they are often the product of an intricate system encompassing street design, prevailing speeds, visibility, land use patterns, lighting conditions, enforcement strategies, and the everyday expectations of road users. This understanding has been central to the city’s efforts to implement its Moving Together Toward Vision Zero Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

The Crash Response team brings together representatives from the police department and city staff responsible for all facets of the public right-of-way, from daily operations to long-range planning. This collaborative environment allows for a thorough examination of what happened during a crash, but crucially, it prioritises understanding *why* the existing system contributed to that outcome.

Communicating Complexity

A significant challenge identified by the team was the difficulty in communicating the complex findings of crash analyses to the public. While city staff could pinpoint multiple contributing factors, translating this systemic understanding into accessible explanations for community advocates and residents proved problematic. The desire for accountability and clear answers often led to a simplification of crash causes, which in turn obscured the broader lessons the city was learning.

To address this communication gap, McCreedy introduced the Strong Towns’ Crash Analysis Studio to the team. This program provided a framework to strengthen both the review process and the team’s ability to articulate their findings. The Studio helped to shift conversations away from assigning blame and towards a collective understanding of contributing conditions. The team became better equipped to ask what environmental and systemic factors made a crash more likely and what modifications could enhance future safety.

Learning from a Wider Community

McCreedy also found value in connecting with a broader network of practitioners through Strong Towns. This connection revealed that Ann Arbor was not alone in grappling with these complex questions. City staff were able to engage with peers, local leaders, and transportation professionals facing similar challenges: how to discuss crashes without reducing them to a single cause, how to educate residents about the role of street design in safety outcomes, and how to create a learning environment while still addressing community concerns. The benefit extended beyond a new process; it offered the confidence that comes from shared learning and collective problem-solving.

Tangible Results and Future Focus

This shift in perspective has yielded measurable results. Ann Arbor has experienced a reduction in overall crashes and is now better positioned to concentrate its attention on the most serious incidents as it progresses with its Vision Zero objectives. The story of Ann Arbor’s approach highlights the embrace of complexity rather than the pursuit of simplistic solutions, a principle often emphasised by Strong Towns.

The organisation frequently points out the danger of “false confidence” that can arise from oversimplified approaches to complex urban systems. Meaningful change, they argue, emerges from diligent observation, continuous learning, robust collaboration, and the willingness to ask more insightful questions. McCreedy’s work is presented as a practical demonstration of this philosophy, showcasing how safer streets are built through curiosity, humility, and a commitment to learning from every experience.

The Strong Towns membership model is credited with making such work possible, enabling communities to access programs like the Crash Analysis Studio, connect with peers, and build the capacity for experiential learning. This support is framed not just as organisational backing, but as a contribution to a movement empowering local leaders with the tools, encouragement, and relationships needed to foster safer and stronger communities. This progress, it is noted, is an incremental process, built one conversation, one crash review, and one lesson at a time.

Edward Erfurt, Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Towns, brings extensive experience as a trained architect and urban designer to his role. With over two decades in both public and private sectors, his work has focused on the management, design, and implementation of development and placemaking projects that enhance community character. Erfurt advocates for community-focused processes rooted in diverse perspectives, equity, and time-tested planning principles that promote sustainable growth and preserve local identity. His overall mission is to help cities, towns, and neighbourhoods take local action towards becoming safer, more liveable, and financially resilient.

Key facts

This systemic approach to understanding traffic incidents in Ann Arbor has direct implications for urban planning and transportation policy. By analysing crashes not as isolated failures but as outcomes of broader systemic design, land use, and operational factors, the city is gathering data that can inform future street design standards, traffic calming measures, and public engagement strategies. The focus on learning from each incident, regardless of its severity, allows for a more proactive and adaptive planning process. This methodology supports the development of safer, more resilient, and more human-centred urban environments, aligning with the goals of Vision Zero and contributing to a broader understanding of how urban systems impact public safety. The collaborative nature of the Crash Response team also models effective interdepartmental cooperation, a crucial element for successful implementation of complex urban initiatives.

Source: Strong Towns – Looking Beyond the Crash – https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2026-6-19-looking-beyond-the-crash-mds26