The Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems and Vision Zero Philadelphia released the “Vision Zero Philadelphia: Action Plan 2030” in late November, outlining the city’s goals to bring traffic deaths down to zero. An updated High Injury Network map was released in conjunction with the plan, demonstrating which corridors have the highest rates of traffic-related fatalities and injuries.
To create the plan the city worked with nearly 3,000 Philadelphians to learn their main areas of concerns and what types of solutions they prioritized. Here are some takeaways.
Traffic Deaths Remain Higher Than Other Cities
Philadelphia is outpacing its metropolitan counterparts across the country when it comes to traffic deaths. Philly has a rate of 8.48 traffic-related deaths per 100,000 residents. This surpasses the sprawling, car-centric city of Los Angeles at 8.11 and walkable New York City at 2.75.
Residents Are Most Concerned About Speed
Speeding was the top contributing factor in crash severity between 2020 and 2024. In a survey, Philadelphians said that speed was their number one traffic safety concern, followed by drivers running red lights and stop signs.
Philly Wants Traffic Safety Education To Start Young
Most Philadelphians surveyed said their highest priorities were educating high schoolers on safe-driving practices and young people on safe walking and biking. More than half wanted bike lanes separated from traffic.
Legislative Action Is Needed To Reach Safety Goals
Vision Zero’s Policy Subcommittee plans to spend the next five years meeting three policy goals:
- Expand local government’s ability to set speed limits and work with state partners to set limits that make more sense for Philadelphia.
- Make state roads eligible for parking-separated bike lanes.
- Renew automated red-light enforcement programs and expand automated speed enforcement.
Change the Culture Through Education, Engagement, & Enforcement
The behaviors most associated with fatal crashes include aggressive driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, impaired driving, not yielding, distracted driving, and illegal parking. To change these behaviors, action items include expanded safety education in Philly schools, an expanded Vision Zero ambassador program to educate community members, and strategic deployment of highly visible enforcement.
Drive Less and Opt for Safer Vehicles
Motorized vehicles can have the biggest impact on safety on our streets. To address this, the city will lead by example by adding small cars to its fleet with Vision Zero safety features. The city will also work on expanding the Indego bike share program and make transit improvements along priority corridors.
Read the city’s full Vision Zero 2030 report and learn the latest about the city’s bike lanes in today’s episode of City Cast Philly.
