The city’s Vision Zero efforts seem to have stalled.
Though widely known as the epitome of a dense, pedestrian-friendly city, New York City saw pedestrian deaths rise in 2024, reports Lola Fadulu for The New York Times. “In 2024 there was a nearly 18 percent surge in pedestrian deaths, which jumped to 119 through Dec. 30 from 101 during the same time period in 2023. The city said that the 2023 figure was the lowest in 115 years of recorded data, and that 2024 was on track to be the fifth lowest in that time.”
According to Sarah Kaufman, the director of the Rudin Center for Transportation at New York University, the city’s progress on its Vision Zero goals can’t be reached “without major renovations of public space.”
Experts point to the growing size of vehicles and the rise of e-scooters, e-bikes, and other motorized devices as two of the reasons for the rise in fatalities — and two strong indicators that more fundamental changes to the city’s streetscape are necessary. “Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director for Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy organization, said the city needed to more rapidly deploy solutions, such as bus lanes; curb extensions; raised crosswalks; concrete dividers that narrow driving lanes and make it harder to take wide turns; and other ‘three-dimensional obstacles.’”
FULL STORY: Walkable' New York City became deadlier for pedestrians in 2024
Portland Traffic Deaths Surpass 2022 Number
This year, 69 people have died in traffic crashes in Portland, Oregon, nearly twice as many as in 2018, when the city began its Vision Zero program.
NYC Sees 127 Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2024
The number is the highest since the city pledged to end traffic deaths through Vision Zero policies a decade ago.
Report: Racial Gap in Traffic Deaths Persists
Communities of color have significantly higher rates of traffic fatalities, according to federal research.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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