New York Mayor de Blasio Details Vision Zero Traffic Safety Plan

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio gathered Police Commissioner William Bratton and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to make the potentially historic policy announcement: the Vision Zero plan, which treats all traffic deaths as preventable.

2 minute read

February 19, 2014, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Matt Flegenheimer provides the details and the context of the potentially historic policy announcement: the country's most populous city, defined in part by its zooming cabs, popular public transit, and, yes, jaywalking, is setting a goal to make the streets safe for all users. “Our lives are literally in each other’s hands...Our children’s lives are in each other’s hands,” said Mayor de Blasio at the press conference announcing the Vision Zero plan on Tuesday, February 19, 2014.

Although the Vision Zero plan was a campaign promise by Mayor de Blasio, this was the first time the mayor announced the details of the plan. Some of the policy proposals, as reported by Flegenheimer:

  • "Perhaps the most significant changes involve the New York Police Department, whose officers will increase precinct-level enforcement of speeding."
  • Lowered citywide speed limit to 25 miles per hour from 30 (requires state approval).
  • The installation of red-light and speed-tracking cameras (requires state approval).
  • "The Taxi and Limousine Commission will form an 'enforcement squad,' with a focus on dangerous cabdrivers, and begin a pilot program to install 'black box' data recorders in the city’s taxis and limousines."
  • The city’s Transportation Department will overhaul 50 intersections and corridors each year.

Perhaps the most telling soundbite from the article was this statement from Mayor de Blasio about the focus of the policy: “The central problem is related to our vehicles.” 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 in New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Tunnel for pedestrians, bikes, and buses in Lyon, France lit up with purple lights.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free

Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Missouri state Rep. Chris Brown speaking in government chamber.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies

A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

7 hours ago - Missouri Independent

Pedestrians crossing a rainbow painted crosswalk in New York City.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program

The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.

July 16 - Urban Milwaukee