Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Vision Zero

De Blasio Hasn’t Done It, So Tish James Intros Bill to Legalize Walking

By Brad Aaron | Nov 10, 2015 | 35 Comments

A bill from Public Advocate Tish James would clean up outdated city traffic rules that NYPD and district attorneys say are an obstacle to applying the Right of Way Law. Under the current rules, adopted before the existence of pedestrian countdown clocks, people who enter a crosswalk when the signal is flashing the “don’t walk” symbol do not have the right […]

Straight Talk From Portland PD on the Importance of Speed Enforcement

By Brad Aaron | Nov 6, 2015 | 3 Comments

There’s nothing all that special about this traffic safety video from the Portland Police Bureau. It’s just a short talk from retired officer Ron Hoesly, formerly of the department’s traffic division, on the importance of enforcing speed limits. What’s so good about it is Hoesly doesn’t patronize with happy talk about everyone doing their part to make […]

Two of These Five DA Candidates Answered TA Questions on Traffic Safety

By Brad Aaron | Oct 27, 2015 | 4 Comments

New York City district attorneys are integral to street safety. Ideally, in addition to ensuring that victims see justice, district attorneys can deter dangerous driving by holding people accountable for committing acts of traffic violence. But even after the advent of Vision Zero, traffic crime and its victims are not a priority for city DAs. Unless […]

NYPD Isn’t Enforcing Mayor de Blasio’s Key Vision Zero Law

By Brad Aaron | Oct 27, 2015 | 30 Comments

Within months of taking office, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law several bills intended to add teeth to his Vision Zero street safety initiative. In the year since taking effect, however, the most important of those laws was barely used by NYPD. The Right of Way Law, also known as Section 19-190, made it a […]

Good News: New York City Cyclists Have All But Achieved Vision Zero

By Brad Aaron | Oct 21, 2015 | 57 Comments

Yesterday the 104th Precinct, in Queens, tweeted a photo of officers giving a ticket to a cyclist. The precinct deleted the tweet when it triggered blowback from street safety advocates, but you can see it at the end of this post. “Bicyclists are no exception to Vision Zero,” it read. “Ride safe!” If NYPD’s goal is encouraging cyclists […]

NYPD Conspicuously Absent From City Council Vision Zero Hearing

By Brad Aaron | Oct 7, 2015 | 32 Comments

How seriously does Police Commissioner Bill Bratton take Vision Zero? The City Council transportation committee held a hearing today to gauge the city’s progress in reducing traffic injuries and deaths, and NYPD didn’t send a single person to provide testimony or answer questions. In NYPD’s absence, Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg — as she often does — had to field council […]

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