Five Lessons from 10 Years of Vision Zero: Transportation Alternatives Releases New Report and Graphics on Takeaways from Vision Zero’s First Decade in New York City
To reach zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries, New York City must learn from the first decade of Vision Zero in the five boroughs.
NEW YORK, NY — Transportation Alternatives today released a new report and analyzed major takeaways from the first decade of Vision Zero in New York City. For the past 10 years, New York City has launched a wide range of interventions aimed at protecting New Yorkers from traffic violence. The 10-year anniversary of Vision Zero offers an opportunity to look back and consider what has worked, what has not, and why.
“Vision Zero has undoubtedly saved lives across New York City – but unless we learn from our past successes and failures, we can never truly reach Vision Zero,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Ultimately, the goal of this report is to build on the successes of the program and address the challenges so that no New Yorker need worry about death or serious injury while walking, biking, or driving across the five boroughs. We hope to see our elected leaders at all levels of government taking these recommendations seriously today so that the next decade of this program can save even more lives.”
The report chronicles five lessons — and includes nine charts — from New York City’s Vision Zero program and includes recommendations to improve and strengthen the program moving forward. These lessons include:
Implement Safety Interventions Systemwide: The most successful Vision Zero efforts are those implemented systemwide. Too often, cities fix streets in a piecemeal manner or only after a dangerous crash – instead of implementing systemwide, comprehensive improvements. In contrast, programs like reducing the speed limit and building a network of speed safety cameras citywide can and do save lives. When New York City lowered its speed limit to 25 mph and launched an automated speed safety camera program, these systemwide changes have changed driver behavior and reduced crashes, speeding, injuries, and fatalities.
Make Inexpensive Changes Universal: Vision Zero efforts often overlook the effectiveness of low-cost safety interventions installed at scale. While the cost of a street redesign can be significant and the need for upfront capital can stall even the most well-intended Vision Zero programs, less expensive changes (like Leading Pedestrian Intervals) can save lives when implemented comprehensively throughout a city.
Build Self-Enforcing Streets: While police enforcement presumes that punishment will change future behavior and requires a police officer to witness a dangerous behavior, reengineering a street can reduce risk even in the face of dangerous behaviors, protects people 24 hours a day without staffing, and works preemptively to prevent harm. Coupled with automated enforcement, these “self-enforcing streets" can create safe conditions and reduce reckless behavior at scale.
Focus on Action, Not Advertising: In many Vision Zero cities, officials devote extensive resources to public education advertising campaigns — billboards, flyers, public service announcements. These campaigns have been proven expensive and largely ineffective – and with limited funding, Vision Zero programs must focus on solutions that are proven to save lives, not waste funding on counter-productive programming.
Adapt to Changing Conditions: The initial success of Vision Zero programs can plateau or even recede when city officials fail to adapt to changing conditions and needs on city streets. Over the past ten years, cars have grown in size and weight while New York City’s streets have welcomed even more pedestrians and bike riders. Each of these changes directly increase the likelihood of deadly conflict, but few efforts have been made to mitigate each of these issues or their collective impact on more dangerous street conditions.
The City of New York launched the first Vision Zero program in the U.S. in 2014, inspiring a cascade of followers across the country. A decade later, New York City continues to demonstrate areas of success, but also is facing significant challenges as the conditions that impact traffic violence are changing faster than our systems and political will. By taking initiative today, learning lessons from our shortcomings, replicating our successes system wide, and adapting Vision Zero to meet the reality of New York City streets in 2024 and beyond, New York City can save lives, inspire more cities to follow suit, and reassume its role as the U.S. leader in traffic safety.
This report follows TA and Families for Safe Streets’ data analysis of the first 10 years of the program, which showed it has saved at over 450 lives.
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