Hoboken celebrates 9 years without a traffic death

Hoboken, New Jersey has managed a rare feat for an American city: it hasn't seen any traffic deaths since January 17, 2017, writes Shia Levitt in Reasons to be Cheerful.

As Levitt explains, "That analysis showed that, between 2014 and 2018, 40% of the accidents causing serious injuries or death in Hoboken involved bikers or pedestrians, even though people walking and bicycling were only involved in 8% of all crashes. Given that most bicycle and pedestrian crashes (88%) happened in intersection crosswalks, those became a major priority."

The city focused its Vision Zero strategy first on the most vulnerable users, prioritizing safety projects near school, parks, and senior centers. The city also took steps to enforce a statewide daylighting law that prevents cars from parking within 25 feet of intersections and installed physical deterrents and other crosswalk treatments. "After especially extensive road upgrades in 2022, Hoboken saw 18% fewer injury crashes and a 62% reduction in serious injuries from 2022 to 2023."