Safety Should Be Just Half the Goal of Vision Zero

Updates to the design of New York's Grand Concourse have been a major success, "There have not been any traffic deaths on the Grand Concourse in more than two years, according to DOT, and crashes with injuries have dropped 40 percent. These are significant achievements and testament to both street design changes and the de Blasio administration’s expansion of speed cameras, which cut speeding in school zones on the Concourse 70 percent," David Meyer reports. But, he argues, "[t]he city should be incorporating bike infrastructure into its designs or they will be missing an opportunity. "

Biking is still dangerous enough to suppress cycling on what should be a major bike corridor. "The segments with bike lanes are obstructed too much, and while a few souls opt to ride in the main road’s painted median next to fast traffic, most people will never choose to do that," Meyer argues. Until the streets are safe enough to encourage bike commuters, the Grand Concourse project will only be a half success.