The goal of Vision Zero is to dramatically reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes that occur in Philadelphia each year, with a long term goal of eventually eliminating all traffic deaths. Vision Zero policies aim to make all road users feel safe and comfortable using the street.

The Vision Zero Alliance believes traffic crashes must never be considered inevitable and offers to assist the Mayor in delivering on his campaign promise to set target goals and achieve substantive reductions in the number of deaths and severe crashes experienced on city streets.

The Alliance wants to encourage strategies that reduce impaired and aggressive driving as well as speeding using smart design and a robust education campaign that target all neighborhoods and road users. Whether someone is young or old, experienced or not or have a disability all streets must be safe and accessible.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION COMES FIRST: Implementing Vision Zero strategies must start with robust community engagement that informs the plan’s entire process and prioritizes the specific concerns and needs of each community. The community perspective must drive the changes in infrastructure, inform the tone of education and guide enforcement strategies.

USE DATA TO ADVANCE SAFETY AND EQUITY: Crash and injury data must help identify and prioritize corridor and intersection and community improvements to protect the most vulnerable road users. Equity, including demographics, risk factors, traffic enforcement data and infrastructure gaps must be used to guide the Vision Zero plan to prioritize specific concerns of each community.

SET TARGET GOALS AND DATES: The plan must establish clear and measurable objectives for reducing traffic fatalities and severe injuries and set timelines for implementation. Progress must be publicly communicated annually and success measured by the level of investment in communities of concern, with priority on equity outcomes and safety metrics.

FUND VISION ZERO PROGRAM: There must be dedicated sources of funding in the City’s capital and operating budgets to support Vision Zero’s engineering, education and enforcement strategies. Adopting the Vision Zero name, a nationally recognized movement used in twelve other major US cities, will leverage public support for dedicated funding streams the programs goals.