February 18, 2014
CONTACT: pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, (212) 788-2958
Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRnoSz9NE1k
Plan commits to ramped up enforcement of speeding and failure to yield, borough-by-borough campaigns to redesign dangerous corridors, improving taxi safety
City will work with state leaders to reduce citywide speed limit and expand use of speed and red light enforcement cameras
NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today released his administration's Vision Zero Action Plan, laying out a comprehensive roadmap to drastically reduce traffic-related deaths on New York City streets.
An interagency task force has spent the past month developing new strategies to make streets safer, ranging from lowering the citywide speed limit to increasing enforcement against speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians. The unprecedented effort comprises new legislation, changes to city policies, public education, and community outreach.
"We refuse to accept the loss of children, parents and neighbors as inevitable. We are focusing the full weight of city government to prevent fatalities on our streets. This will add up to much more than changing intersections or issuing violations. It's about each of us taking greater responsibility every time we get behind the wheel or step out on the street. Our lives are literally in each other's hands—and today we begin the work of living up to that responsibility," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Vision Zero is a proven strategy that combines strong enforcement and better roadway engineering with improved emergency response and high visibility behavior campaigns to discourage dangerous behavior on roadways. Since 1997, traffic fatality rates in jurisdictions that adopted Vision Zero policies have fallen more than 25 percent faster than the national average.
New York City's Vision Zero Action Plan comprises dozens of specific initiatives spread across City Hall, NYPD, Department of Transportation, Taxi and Limousine Commission, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Those initiatives include:
"A life lost is a life lost—and it is our job to protect New Yorkers, whether it is from violent crime or from a fatal collision on our streets. We are going to use every tool we have—and push to get the additional tools we need—to prevent the needless loss of life. I have been in law enforcement my entire career, and I can honestly say we have never had this level of cooperation across agencies on this issue. It is going to make all the difference as we work to enforce the law and keep New Yorkers safe," said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
"At DOT, we are on the front lines of Vision Zero, working every day to improve streets in ways that prevent crashes and save lives. Our safe street designs will be even more effective when combined with strong enforcement, public education, and a clear message that dangerous or careless behavior is no longer acceptable,"said Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
"Make no mistake—traffic fatalities are preventable, and we won't accept a single death. Being hit by a car is the leading cause of injury-related death for children in this city. We are going to confront this as the health crisis it is," said Health Commissioner Mary Bassett.
"The changes we're working on for Vision Zero represent some of the most innovative safety thinking in the TLC's 42-year history," said TLC Chief Operating Officer Conan Freud. "Our regulated industries were great partners in the collaborative process we undertook for this initiative, and we look forward to continuing this important work with them as we strive together for the goal of zero traffic fatalities."
Read the Vision Zero Action Plan and learn more about the citywide campaign at: www.nyc.gov/VisionZero.