Hoboken's $20 Vision Zero fix

In a feat unheard of in the rest of the United States, Hoboken, New Jersey achieved nine years without a traffic death — a rare Vision Zero victory, reports Stephen Rivers in Car Scoops.

Rivers points out that the city turned to inexpensive fixes to start its Vision Zero initiative. "Its signature fix was almost comically cheap: two plastic bollard posts per corner, placed to stop cars from parking too close to intersections, at roughly $20 a corner." This simple daylighting project cut pedestrian injuries by 30% in its first few years. 

Hoboken added to its efforts with more visible crosswalks, adjusted traffic signal timing, reduced speed limits and curb extensions to make crossings safer. "None of these ideas is new, but what makes them work is that they don’t depend on a person making the right choice. In fact, they layer in protection for when humans make mistakes." 

Rivers concludes, "At a time when traffic fatalities continue claiming tens of thousands of lives across America each year, Hoboken’s record suggests the problem isn’t a lack of knowledge." Rather, "What seems to be missing is an actual commitment to safety rather than a token one that makes for a good sound bite or press statement."