The Failure Of Vision Zero

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Vision Zero has been an abject failure across almost every major city in the United States. The movement, which began in Northern Europe in the ‘90s has since been adopted by municipalities across the globe. Here in the U.S., New York, Los Angeles and Chicago all signed on early with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating pedestrian and bicyclist accident deaths to zero. Instead, traffic deaths have skyrocketed, especially post-pandemic. Even cities that have traditionally been pedestrian and bike-friendly like Portland, Oregon have regressed. The City of Roses recently recorded the highest number of traffic deaths since 1990.

In Los Angeles, former Mayor Eric Garcetti was an early and enthusiastic proponent of Vision Zero. Initially, he stated that the goal was to reduce traffic accident deaths 20% by 2017. Not only has that not happened, the number of fatalities has gone up steadily. Even worse, what started as a slow uptick suddenly spiked during the height of the pandemic largely due to the allure of empty streets for many motorists. This, in turn, led to a sharp increase in reckless driving and of course, accident deaths. If that weren’t bad enough, today Los Angeles has a well-earned reputation as the hit-and-run capital of the nation.

The Failure of Vision Zero in Major US Cities

Vision Zero, a movement aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating pedestrian and bicyclist accident deaths in major cities across the United States, has been an abject failure. Even cities that have traditionally been pedestrian and bike-friendly, such as Portland, Oregon, have regressed, recording the highest number of traffic deaths since 1990. Former Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles was an early and enthusiastic proponent of Vision Zero, but the number of traffic fatalities in the city has steadily increased, with a sharp rise during the pandemic due to reckless driving on empty streets.

The resistance from many motorists to initiatives aimed at expanding protected bike and bus lanes and improving pedestrian infrastructure has led to a culture that prioritizes speed and efficiency over safety, contributing to the high number of traffic fatalities. The promise of Vision Zero should not be abandoned, but instead, cities need to invest more in public transit, improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and lower speed limits on major streets.

Things have gotten so out of hand that several street safety advocacy groups recently gathered at Los Angeles City Hall to stage a die-in protest. The protestors urged new Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council to take action to help curb this alarming trend. Bass herself is no stranger to traffic accident injuries and deaths. One of her daughters was recently the victim of a hit-and-run accident in December of 2022. She is expected to survive. Another daughter was killed in a crash on the 405 freeway in 2006.

“Currently, no city is immune to reckless driving accidents and deaths,” declared pedestrian accident attorney J.J. Dominguez of The Dominguez Firm. “Whether it’s a tourist area such as Hollywood in Los Angeles or the densely populated streets of Manhattan, fatalities are on the rise. Sadly, pedestrians are the most likely to be killed in these accidents and current statistics reflect this. This is especially true for children and the elderly.” He continued, “Along with enacting meaningful road safety legislation, we must also hold reckless drivers accountable in both criminal and civil court.”

The Call for Action: Advocacy and Legal Efforts to Curb Reckless Driving

One of the biggest hurdles Vision Zero faces is resistance from many motorists. Cities like Los Angeles are still very much car-centric. Several initiatives to expand protected bike and bus lanes have been blocked by vocal residents. Such was the case in the Playa del Rey neighborhood where new bike lanes were installed and promptly removed. It’s also currently happening in Culver City where a petition to do away with a recently implemented road diet is quickly gaining signatures. All of this has led to a culture that prioritizes speed and efficiency over safety, one of the main contributors to the high number of traffic fatalities we’re experiencing.

The promise of Vision Zero should not be abandoned. While much still needs to be done, it’s important to continue the work towards creating safer and more livable cities for all residents. This includes investing more in public transit, improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and lowering speed limits on major streets. As things stand right now, prioritizing the needs of motorists has proven to be deadly and unsustainable.