Study: Seattle Vision Zero Projects Not Bad for Business

An analysis of seven road safety project sites showed no negative economic impact on surrounding businesses.

1 minute read

February 29, 2024, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Street view of 4th Avenue, a commercial street of shops and restaurants through the city center of downtown Seattle, Washington.

A bike lane on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington. | Kirk Fisher / Adobe Stock

In an article for UW News, Alden Woods highlights new research from the University of Washington that shows that road safety projects built as part of the city’s Vision Zero pledge had no negative economic impact on adjacent businesses.

An analysis of seven safety projects showed no reduction in business over three years. “In the three years after each safety intervention, researchers found no significant difference in the year-over-year change in revenue of the businesses in the intervention and comparison sites. On average, taxable sales increased in both the intervention and comparison sites over time, and at largely the same rate.”

The results could help convince reluctant business owners, who often oppose road safety projects under the assumption that they could be bad for business. According to study co-author Andrew Dannenberg, “The sales data do not suggest any economic harm occurred, in fact there were a few instances where the safety interventions might have even helped sales.”

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 in UW News

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