D.C. Transportation Bills to Move Vision Zero Plan Closer to Reality

Washington, D.C., is not meeting its Vision Zero goals. Three proposed bills would put requirements in place to make traffic safety a priority.

1 minute read

May 13, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Washington D.C. Street

J. Sibiga Photography / Flickr

A bill introduced last week would bolster Vision Zero efforts in Washington, D.C., reports Caitlin Rogger. It focuses on better infrastructure, stronger enforcement of existing laws, and planning to reduce auto travel. Two additional proposed bills would improve traffic safety by requiring curb extensions to protect pedestrians and mandating that the district’s written driving test include questions about biking-related laws.

The Vision Zero bill also requires that the District Department of Transportation update the transportation plan every two years and work to improve street safety and shift commuters from driving to transit, biking, and walking. "The provision to plan for 50% of commutes by public transit and 25% by riding bicycles or walking by 2032 are particularly encouraging, as they reflect the kind of paradigm shift needed to meet equity, sustainability, and safety goals on a broader scale," notes Rogger.

Washington, D.C., is behind in reaching its Vision Zero goals. The plan was introduced in 2014, but the number of fatalities last year was the highest in a decade. "Advocates have been saying for years that DC’s leadership would have to make eliminating traffic-related deaths a much higher priority to make any progress," writes Rogger.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 in Greater Greater Washington

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

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.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

May 23 - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

May 23 - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23 - The Daily Yonder