The law enforcement results are in from the first year of Vision Zero policy in New York City.
Reporting for Streetsblog NYC, Stephen Miller reveals the data showing how well NYPD precincts did to issue traffic tickets for failing to yield and speeding in in 2014 compared to previous years. 2014, of course, was the first year for the city under Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero pedestrian safety initiative.
"The stats show that police are, in general, devoting more resources to enforcing the most dangerous traffic violations on surface streets," according to Miller. "But the baseline level of enforcement was so low that many precincts are still issuing fewer than one speeding or failure-to-yield ticket per day."
The article provides a lot of detail about both speeding and failure to yield tickets, but here's one summation that describes the overall effort: "Every single precinct increased the combined number of speeding and failure to yield tickets it issued last year. The biggest increase came from the 6th Precinct, covering Greenwich Village and the West Village, at 386 percent. The 94th Precinct, covering Greenpoint and Williamsburg’s North Side, was the department’s laggard, with just a 12 percent increase."
Read the full story: Has Your NYPD Precinct Ramped Up Enforcement Under Vision Zero?
A Vision Zero Success Story in New York
The 300-foot wide Queens Boulevard has been known as the Boulevard of Death. Since 1990, it has claimed 186 lives, 74 percent being pedestrians, including 18 in 1997 alone. A series of safety improvements have brought fatalities to zero since 2014.
Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.
NYC’s Vision Zero Program Saved $90 Million in Medicaid Costs
While traffic fatalities remain far above zero, the city saw fewer injuries compared to areas without Vision Zero initiatives.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority