De Blasio Budget Sets Aside Money for Vision Zero

Image: ##https://twitter.com/NYCMayorsOffice/status/464471207157719040##@NYCMayorsOffice##
Image: @NYCMayorsOffice

Mayor de Blasio attached some numbers to his Vision Zero Action Plan in today’s executive budget announcement.

In a speech this afternoon, de Blasio said he was moved to take action when he realized that in 2013, there were 286 traffic deaths in NYC, compared to 333 homicides.

“The Vision Zero plan is being implemented intensely as we speak,” de Blasio said. “It is already having a very positive effect. You’ll be seeing more red light cameras ahead, continued efforts to lower speed limits, more speed humps and redesigns of streets, more NYPD enforcement. All of this is already having an effect. You’re going to see a lot more in fiscal ’15 because of this budget.”

Here are figures released today by the mayor’s office:

Vision Zero: Mayor de Blasio’s executive budget strategically allocates funds toward his interagency goal of eliminating the city’s traffic fatalities. Specifically, the budget adds $28.8 million for DOT initiatives, including the installation of 50 speed bumps near schools, the development of neighborhood slow zones, the installation of speed cameras, and intersection redesigns; $13 million for NYPD traffic enforcement; and $1.1 million for TLC’s safety squad ad campaign.

City departments, including NYPD, have yet to reveal publicly how much they will spend to implement Vision Zero initiatives, so it’s good to finally see some line items. One key question will be how NYPD intends to use the $13 million allocated for additional enforcement. The department’s annual budget exceeds $3 billion.

De Blasio called for $226 million for road repaving, an increase of $49 million, and an additional $346 million for bridge maintenance. He also proposed more funds for snow removal.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Vision Zero: Where Do We Go From Here?

By John Petro |
John Petro is a policy analyst for New York City affairs and the co-author of “Vision Zero: How Safer Streets in New York City Can Save More Than 100 Lives a Year.” Mayor Bill de Blasio released his administration’s Vision Zero Action Plan earlier this week, following up on a high-profile campaign promise just six […]

Bill de Blasio Outlines His “Vision Zero” Plan

By Brad Aaron |
As if on cue, Bill de Blasio today released a plan to reduce city traffic fatalities to zero within 10 years. The paper draws heavily on data and, while some facets would require concessions from Albany and cooperation from NYPD, it’s the most comprehensive and detailed street safety policy released by a mayoral candidate to […]

Vision Zero Year One: An Early Assessment

By Jon Orcutt |
New York’s transportation reform and traffic safety movement notched huge wins when mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio adopted Vision Zero as part of his platform in 2013, and again this year when the new mayor put the policy into action within days of taking office. Vision Zero created a policy rubric for the de Blasio […]