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American cities and states have fallen dramatically short of the "Vision Zero" goals they set for themselves during the Obama and Biden administrations, according to an extensive new report from the Washington Post.
With one exception: The Big Apple.
Yes, even as New York City under Mayor Adams has failed to live up to its own goals of zero traffic deaths and more miles of protected bike lanes, it stands out as the only one of 27 cities in the U.S. that saw traffic fatalities drop after officials made Vision Zero commitments to bring road carnage down to zero, according to the Post's analysis.
Other American cities have seen their efforts run into challenges not unfamiliar to New Yorkers. In the Post's words, "Vision Zero’s failures in more than two dozen cities fit a predictable pattern. ... Motorists are hostile to measures that slow traffic and favor pedestrians. Local leaders give token or tepid support. Spending on pedestrian-friendly improvements is not prioritized."
In Los Angeles, drivers agitated against street redesigns they felt had slowed down their commutes — scaring city officials into redesigning just 20 miles of 549 miles of "high-injury" streets they'd identified for improvements. California state law prevented officials from installing speed cameras or lowering speed limits for safety. Pedestrian deaths increased by 50 percent.
"The real problem isn’t that Vision Zero doesn’t work; it’s that many places have adopted that slogan without making any real changes," Families for Safe Street founder Amy Cohen told the paper. “It has not been implemented with the resources and commitment and courage from legislators that is required.”
In other news:
First, during our December Donation Drive, we like to open our headlines with a tribute to the previous day's donors. So, thanks, Thomas N.! Thanks, Jesse! Thanks, Thomas K! Thanks, Gary! Thanks, Hayden! Thanks, Choresh! Thanks, David! Thanks, Andrew! All these donations were so generous, but we'd like to add special thanks to Jesse, Hayden and Choresh, all of whom took advantage of our special incentive to receive a completely real-looking, but entirely fake, Streetsblog parking placard with their donations.
Programming alert: Our very own Dave Colon will talk free buses on FOX 5 tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tune in!
New York City is also an exception to the nationwide growth in traffic congestion. (Smart Cities Dive)
Will Mayor Mamdani put DOT's Third Avenue Brooklyn redesign back on the table? (Sunset Post)
Writer Ben Schneider went deep into the history of the car's domination of New York City streets for Vital City.
Let the F and M switch hysteria begin (months after the delay-cutting, time-saving plan was announced). The change goes into effect on Monday. (NY Post, Upper East Site)
Here's an inside look at the tech NYPD uses to investigate deadly crashes. (WABC-TV)
DOT cut the ribbon on a new pedestrian plaza in Washington Heights. (amNY)
Join Ciclistas Latinamericanos for their annual Santa (Bike) Ride through Corona Saturday at noon. Meet at 34th Avenue and 93rd Street in Queens. (Instagram)
Here's how to transfer your MetroCard balance to OMNY. (NY Post)
... while the MTA explores ways to show you your OMNY balance when you tap-to-ride. (PIX11)
Good-bye car housing, hello people housing. (Crain's)
It's past time for the U.S. to legalize tinier cars. (Bloomberg)
A cyclist on TikTok raced the 7 train between Hudson Yards and Flushing and almost beat it. (whereinNYcity via TikTok)
A subway station hosted a Chanel fashion show. (NY Times)
The City [sic] Bike Boys brought their shtick to the Oculus:
David was Streetsblog's do-it-all New York City beat reporter from 2015 to 2019. He returned as deputy editor in 2023 after a three-year stint at the New York Post.
The city has lost tens of millions in unpaid fines because the company that runs our speed- and red-light cameras can't catch cars with temp tags. But that company just inked a new $1-billion five-year deal.
