Vision Zero at Work: Hoboken Celebrates Seven Years of Zero Traffic Deaths

While traffic deaths continue to rise in much of the United States, one New Jersey city is bucking the trend. Hoboken’s Vision Zero plan, in fact, is working as intended. According to an article by Bradley Brownell in Jalopnik, “the city hasn’t seen a single traffic death since January 2017, and according to Bloomberg, traffic injuries are down about 40 percent in that same period.”

The plan boils down to a few simple changes in the tiny city on the Hudson; lower speed limits, protected bike lanes, improved crosswalks, and curb extensions. That’s it.

While small, Hoboken shows how a city can make simple, low-cost changes that make a big impact on the lives of their residents. Local leaders built bike lanes, brought bike share to the city, and redesigned crosswalks for improved visibility and pedestrian safety. “The biggest change, however, has been the city’s commitment to speed reduction. In 2022 Hoboken lowered its city speed limit from 30 miles per hour to just 20,” making it significantly more likely for pedestrians to survive collisions.