Legislative officials, state and local lawmakers and transportation planners, and transportation safety advocates gathered at the Aurora Municipal Center Monday for the first-ever National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Summit to talk about transportation safety issues in Colorado.

NTSB Vice Chairman Alvin Brown joined Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, Aurora Council Member Stephanie Hancock, representatives from U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s office, Congressman Jason Crow’s office and the Colorado Department of Transportation, along with Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties, and Bicycle Colorado, for the discussion.

“I was honored to be part of such an important conversation,” said NTSB Vice Chairman Alvin Brown. “At the NTSB, our mission is clear—to prevent crashes and save lives through action, identified in our safety recommendations, and through a commitment to reach zero road fatalities. There is no reason that over 40,000 lives should be lost each year on our roads. These tragedies are preventable, and we are committed to making our roads safer for every traveler. We must act now, because every life saved is a is a step closer to a safer future.”

Discussion at the summit focused on bringing awareness to the state’s transportation safety challenges, work that is being done to implement road safety strategies across disciplines and levels of government, and highlighting the NTSB’s open safety recommendations related to potential state laws for backseat seatbelts and motorcycle helmets.

“I am grateful to Vice Chairman Brown for bringing this safety summit to Aurora, and for the work that the NTSB is doing to improve transportation safety outcomes throughout our state and nation,” Mayor Coffman said. “There is a lot of work happening at all levels of government, including the city of Aurora, to plan strategically and develop solutions for a safer transportation future for everyone in every community.”