This Pa. city wants to end traffic crashes and fatalities in its downtown. A new grant could help.

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READING — In June, Reading City Council members were asked to sign a pledge committing to work toward the city’s new goal of zero traffic deaths by 2033.

The plan to get there, known nationally as “Vision Zero,” was years in the making, and the mayor’s office needed council approval before applying for a federal $1.2 million grant for bike lanes and transportation safety improvements downtown.

Council members expressed their support for the plan and optimism that it could help reduce fatalities.

“It’s so important that it’s not just something really worthwhile to look a