“World with no traffic fatalities” – possible reality or a fairy tale title? “Vision Zero is working, ” says de Blasio.

Posted by on Sep 17, 2016 in Writing Assignment 1 | No Comments

The number of vehicles on roads is constantly increasing, which means that there is always need for changes in traffic laws to ensure safety and mobility. However, the capacity for change is limited if the behavior of traffic units is modified within an unchanged medium. The world needs to reach the perfect harmony between street design and motion within the streets, and that is why the multi-national “Vision Zero” project was adopted.

Vision Zero is a multi-national project that is aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities or injuries. It was first approved in Sweden in 1997.  The main ethical principle of the project is that human life is the paramount concern of the road traffic system and takes priority over convenience and mobility. Deaths caused by traffic are preventable, and, therefore, none are acceptable. Vision Zero was brought into New York City by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014.

One of the key components of New York City’s Vision Zero efforts is the reduction of city speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour. Furthermore, NYPD enforcement was increased to discourage signal violations, speeding, failure to yield, improper turns, and texting or using cell phone while driving (Gelinas, 2014). Even though these violations are causing a significant number of accidents, most of pedestrian deaths appear to be failures of street design (White, 2016).

At locations with major engineering changes in NYC, fatalities are down by about 34% (NYC DOT, 2015). About 63% of all injury crashes were eliminated at Jackson Avenue (11th street to the Pulaski Bridge) in Long Island City, Queens. This is due to new high visibility crosswalks, reduced crossing distances, turn restrictions, and clearer lane designations (NYC DOT). The diagrams below show the intersection before and after the changes were made.

Figure 1: Jackson Avenue intersection before "Vision Zero" changes were made Source: NYC DOT

Figure 1: Jackson Avenue intersection before “Vision Zero” changes were made
                             Source: NYC DOT

 

Figure 2: Jackson Avenue intersection transformed by "Vision Zero" Source: NYC DOT

Figure 2: Jackson Avenue intersection transformed by “Vision Zero”
                                                                     Source: NYC DOT

Another example is the redesigned road in the Bronx, which demonstrates the use of so-called “pedestrian safety islands,” which shorten the crossing distance. The changes lowered the amount of crashes with injuries by 41% (NYC DOT).

Figure 3: Macombs Road, the Bronx - before "Vision Zero" changes were made Source: NYC DOT

Figure 3: Macombs Road, the Bronx – before “Vision Zero” changes were made
                                  Source: NYC DOT

 

Figure 4: Macombs Road transformed by "Vision Zero" Source: NYC DOT

Figure 4: Macombs Road transformed by “Vision Zero”
Source: NYC DOT

Finally, the redesigned streets of Manhattan demonstrate the use of bus lanes and the use of parking spots to protect and separate the bicyclists from the cars (NYC DOT).

Figure 5: First and Second Avenues in Manhattan before "Vision Zero" changes were made Source: NYC DOT

Figure 5: First and Second Avenues in Manhattan before “Vision Zero” changes were made
                                                 Source: NYC DOT

 

Figure 6: First and Second Avenues in Manhattan transformed by "Vision Zero" Source: NYC DOT

Figure 6: First and Second Avenues in Manhattan transformed by “Vision Zero”
                                                                      Source: NYC DOT

According to the Department of Transportation, pedestrian deaths in NYC fell to a historic low in 2014, the year when “Vision Zero” project was adopted. This is the lowest number since 1910.

 

Even though law enforcement by NYPD was significantly increased with 117,719 speeding tickets and 18,723 “failure to yield” summonses issued in 2014, the “zero” goal seems unreachable to the majority of NYC’s population (Tangel, 2016). Cars and other vehicles are still the leading cause of injury-related death for kids under 14 and seniors (Stuart,  2014). Raymond Walter Kelly, the longest serving Commissioner of the NYPD, shares the viewpoint of impossibility of getting to zero: “We do have 8.4 million people here. We do have a daytime population that’s over 10 million people, so you’re going to have a lot of traffic. And you’re going to have accidents (Stuart, 2014).”

Only time and effort can tell us whether traffic deaths can be eliminated. Work towards safer neighborhoods is a process that is still far from complete. All of us have to get involved. Convenience and mobility will never be more important than human lives; therefore, it is in our best interest to forget about “the times when we could drive faster in the city” and to participate in the process at least within our neighborhoods. We can make fewer people turn into statistics.

 

 

Works Cited

Gelinas, Nicole. “New York’s Next Public Safety Revolution.” City Journal. CJ, Spring 2014.

NYC DOT. “Street Design and Regulation.” – Vision Zero. DOT, 5 Jan. 2015.

Stuart, Tessa. “It’s Too Easy to Kill Pedestrians in New York City.” Village Voice. Village Voice, 5 Feb. 2014.

Tangel, Andrew. “Traffic Ruling Could Cloud De Blasio’s ‘Vision Zero’ Push.” The Wall Street Journal. Wsj.com, 1 July 2016.

White, Paul. “Vision Zero Cities.” International Journal of Traffic Safety Innovation. 1 (2016): 14,46,56+.

 

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