Philadelphia recently released its Vision Zero Annual Report 2023.
Vision Zero is the city’s strategy to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries. The focus has been on projects in the High Injury Network, the 12 percent of streets with 80 percent of the traffic deaths and serious injuries.
“Vision Zero has been a cornerstone of my administration. The City and our partners have made important progress in complete streets reducing traffic deaths and crashes,” Mayor Jim Kenney said. “All Philadelphians deserve to travel safely. Let’s build on our proven successes to fight the systemic issue of traffic violence. We have the resources and know-how to get traffic fatalities to zero.”
The report highlights three types of traffic safety projects. Neighborhood Slow Zones set a speed limit of 20 miles per hour. Newly installed slow zones have had 75 percent fewer crashes and no fatal or serious injury crashes. The installation of separated bike lanes has resulted in 17 percent fewer total injury crashes. Road diets, reducing travel lanes and reallocate roadway space, resulted in 18 percent fewer total injury crashes.
Projects advanced by the Office of Complete Streets and Vision Zero partners have reduced fatal and serious injury crashes by 34 percent.