One of Vision Zero’s strengths is its inclusivity, focusing on safe mobility for all road users — those walking, bicycling driving, riding transit or motorcycles or scooters, etc. Everyone. Still, we know that people walking are our most vulnerable road users, especially seniors and people with disabilities, so there is much-warranted priority on pedestrian safety […]
San Francisco Raises the Notch for Vision Zero in New Action Strategy: Aiming for Transformative Change
What’s next for Vision Zero? We hope that communities look to San Francisco for inspiration as the nation’s second-longest running Vision Zero program releases its updated Action Strategy. At the Vision Zero Network, we see a lot to like in its approach. San Francisco’s Vision Zero Action Strategy (its third version since making the VZ […]
On the Way to Vision Zero: San Francisco’s Crisis Response Team, a Model Program
Tragically, we are still far from reaching Vision Zero in most of our communities, as people’s lives are shattered or even lost each day simply while walking, biking, or driving. These preventable deaths and injuries are, of course, tragic enough. Yet, victims’ loved ones may have their grief compounded even further with feelings of frustration […]
From Intersections to High Injury Corridors: How Data Can Focus Vision Zero Efforts
Lessons from San Francisco’s High Injury Network Data The Vision Zero Network, as part of its efforts to ensure meaningful Vision Zero commitments among communities in the U.S., recently hosted a webinar with leaders from San Francisco to share their experience in creating a High Injury Network, or the mapping of local corridors where high […]
Vision Zero Buoyed by Progress in Longest-Running Programs
NYC, SF Decrease Traffic Fatalities by 28%, 41% Respectively Since Launching Vision Zero 2018 started with encouraging news from the nation’s two longest-running Vision Zero programs, New York City and San Francisco, both of which reported significant progress in their efforts to prioritize safe mobility for all. New York City reported a 28% decrease in […]
Building Capacity & Empowering People with Funding: Key to Vision Zero
The success of Vision Zero hinges on creating safe travel for all. This entails involving people who use our streets, sidewalks, and bikeways and, particularly, those who are most impacted by safety problems. While Vision Zero encourages cities to make the most of data to prioritize resources and win support to address the most urgent […]
Communities Stand Together for Safety, Vision Zero
We are so pleased to witness the growing number of people that came together on Sunday, November 20th to participate in the International World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Not only are the number of communities participating growing, but we are also seeing greater diversity of organizations collaborating and even more creativity in memorializing those affected and working together for change. Bravo to the many community members and city leaders across the country who stepped forward to elevate the importance of this preventable health crisis taking 100 lives each day in this country.
Case Study: How can cities increase the safety of large vehicles in urban areas?
In this case study, we look at how cities can make relatively simple, inexpensive technology, policy, and training improvements to large vehicles to come closer to achieving Vision Zero. Early-adopter Vision Zero cities such as New York, Boston, Washington D.C., and San Francisco have experienced success in recent years, following cities in Europe, Asia, and Latin […]
Collaborating across departments to achieve Vision Zero
One of the defining characteristics of Vision Zero is the fundamental focus on breaking down silos and uniting local stakeholders behind common goals. Cross-departmental collaboration isn’t simply advisable — its importance cannot be emphasized enough as a critical foundation to a successful Vision Zero commitment. Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York City have found ways to bridge unintentional but long-standing gaps between key local agencies and identified innovative means to build new organizational architecture to advance Vision Zero.
The central role of public health in Vision Zero
If 30,000 people were killed each year in the United States by a curable illness, we would call it a public health crisis. We would deploy resources, vaccines and interventions to address the spread and bring the death toll to the only acceptable level: zero. Yet, every year 30,000+ people are killed in preventable traffic collisions in this country. Vision Zero asks us to see those traffic deaths like polio or cholera: epidemics that, with an urgent health framing and public response, can be eradicated. In this case study we explore how San Francisco, New York City and Chicago are using the tools of public health — including epidemiology, research and a focus on the root causes of health inequities — to advance their Vision Zero efforts.