The initiative focuses on safety, but fatalities are up and ridership growth is down in New York City. How is Vision Zero missing the mark?
"Vision Zero is failing to have a meaningful impact because it targets the wrong goal. The logical flaw here, at least as implemented in New York City, is quite basic: it is a policy that requires dead cyclists as a prerequisite to safety improvements," writes Aaron Gordon.
He uses data from New York City to make the case that Vision Zero is not making streets safer for biking and that the city only moves quickly to make changes after a cyclist is killed. There is safety in numbers, says Gordon, but the city has put in mostly unprotected bike lanes that do not provide the kind of safe infrastructure that draws people to biking.
"But safety isn’t the only factor. So are things like convenient, secure bike parking, timing traffic lights for cycling speeds for quicker and easier journeys, good road conditions, and sensible laws that acknowledge bicycles are not cars and should follow different rules," adds Gordon.
FULL STORY: Vision Zero Is The Wrong Goal
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
