Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and NYPD Transportation Chief Thomas Chan announced today that the city’s 2015 Vision Zero program, made City streets the safest since record-keeping began in 1910.
Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project with the goal of achieving a highway system with “Zero” fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic.
“We are serious about saving lives. Vision Zero is working. Today there are children and grandparents who we might have lost, but who are instead coming home, safe and sound, because of these efforts. This progress is just the beginning, and Vision Zero is going to move ahead with even more intensity in the coming year,” said de Blasio.
The 231 traffic fatalities in 2015 are 66 lower than the 297 fatalities that occurred in 2013, the year before Vision Zero began. Pedestrian deaths — a historic low of 134 in 2015— fell 27% during that period. The previous lows were 2011 with 249 traffic fatalities and 2014 with 139 pedestrian fatalities.
“The 2015 results from Vision Zero have demonstrated that we have the ability to increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists on our roads,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I will continue to work with Mayor de Blasio on redesigning streetscapes to improve safety in the future, including Atlantic Avenue and other dangerous corridors across Brooklyn.”
Adams has contributed to the record year with the development of several initiatives to improve traffic safety through his office such as launching the Connecting Residents on Safer Streets initiative, a capital investment in extending sidewalks and modernizing traffic signals at high-priority intersections. He also utilized the land use process to call for improved transportation choice and safer streets throughout the borough.
“As a member of the City Council, my top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe. I was proud to work with the Mayor to help develop Vision Zero and pass key pieces of its legislation, and I am even prouder of the results we have seen all across the City. The bottom line is that thanks to Vision Zero we are saving lives,” said Council Member David Greenfield (Midwood, Borough Park).
The Mayor pledged to take Vision Zero further in 2016 by unveiling $115 million in new capital investment for plans to calm traffic, as well as expanded efforts to crack down on dangerous driving, make hazardous left-turns safer, and expand enforcement.
Among the city’s specific 2016 Priorities for Vision Zero are safer bicycle routes, targeted NYPD Enforcement to protect seniors, increased use of speed enforcement cameras, and a curriculum designed to educate 4th to 6th graders on driving and walking in NYC streets.
“We commend Mayor de Blasio for beginning year three of Vision Zero with strong new initiatives to make traffic death and injury statistics fall even further and faster,” said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “If we’re going to get to zero by 2024, these are just the kinds of measures we need: more resources to fix the most dangerous streets, and a new push to strengthen equitable, data-driven enforcement, which must include an increased use of speed cameras across the City.”
