2018 Vision Zero Conference

March 13, 2018

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia's third annual full day Vision Zero Conference is March 17, 2018 from 9a to 4p at First District Plaza in University City.

The theme this year is Working Together for Safe Streets.  The conference will feature six sessions focused on Vision Zero best practices, the City’s Vision Zero action plan, tools for neighborhood activists, engineering solutions, behavior change, and how to reimagine the way we use and experience our streets.

First adopted as a national policy in Sweden in 1997, Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries, while increasing safety, health, and mobility for all. In Sweden, traffic-related deaths have since dropped by 30%.

In the United States, cities of all sizes have adopted Vision Zero policies. Vision Zero focuses on how people naturally behave. People make mistakes—kids run out in to the street—but these mistakes should not be fatal. We may never prevent all crashes, but we can put people first and prevent the most serious and fatal crashes. Vision Zero prioritizes human life and seeks to eliminate the prevailing sentiment that traffic crashes are inevitable accidents. Successful Vision Zero programs recognize that there is safety in numbers, that increasing numbers of people walking and biking make these activities safer, as well as improve the health of a city. Through road design, education, and traffic safety enforcement, we can eliminate traffic-related deaths.

In Philadelphia, approximately 53% of the city’s traffic-related deaths are a result of aggressive driving, which includes speeding and failure to yield.  Every year in Philadelphia, our residents are subject to approximately 10,000 traffic crashes. These crashes take the lives of around 100 people each year in Philadelphia, and severely injurying 250 more. (Data source: NHTSA 2015)

On November 7, 2016, Mayor James F. Kenney signed Executive Order 11-16, creating the Vision Zero Task Force. By doing so, the City of Philadelphia joins cities around the world in declaring that traffic crashes are not accidents; they are preventable incidents that can be systematically addressed.

Through an equitable approach to education, engineering, and enforcement, Vision Zero in Philadelphia will build on the City’s traffic safety efforts, with the ultimate goal of reducing all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030.

The City of Philadelphia Vision Zero Task Force is tasked with:

• Establishing short-term and long-term data-driven strategies with measurable goals for achieving zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries;

• Determining best practices, identifying gaps, and supporting the development and implementation of a Vision Zero Action Plan;

• Engaging and educating the public around the issue of traffic safety.

Want to make your neighborhood better and safer? Come to the Philadelphia Vision Zero Conference on March 17 to discuss ways to make Philadelphia a better, safer, city for everyone. And learn what the City is doing to reduce crashes and hear from experts who will outline steps anyone can take to improve the quality of life of this great city. The event runs from 9a-4p at First District Plaza (3801 Market Street).

Vision Zero holds that safe streets should be a reality for every Philadelphian, regardless of neighborhood, income level, etc. Therefore everyone who wants to should be able to come to the Vision Zero conference and join the conversation about improving street safety in our city. This year they are offering ticket pricing on a sliding scale. Click here to learn more.