HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-27-COA-min.Attach1.rpt Vision Zero
(Shared by Sudhir Jain at Transportation Advisory Committee on Oct 27, 2020)
COA is committed to helping Lexington to become a more Age Friendly Community.
Age Friendly community is a great place to grow up and grow old. It has safe and accessible
Public Transportation options, affordable accessible and safe Housing, pleasant and safe Parks
and Outdoor Spaces, quality Community Health services, sufficient Employment and Volunteer
opportunities, and engaging Social Activities and Events for people of all ages. And above all,
Safety on Roads for walking, biking, driving, using transit is also very important.
Each year more than 40,000 ( an average of 100 people per day), the population of a small city
( in 2018 the population of Lexington was around 34000 ) are needlessly killed on American
streets. ( US traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants )
For too long, we have considered traffic deaths and severe injuries to be inevitable side effects
of modern life. While often referred to as Accidents, the reality is that we can prevent these
tragedies by taking a proactive, preventive approach that prioritizes traffic safety as a public
health issue. The significant loss of life exacts a tragic toll extending beyond personal loss to
deep community impacts, including personal economic costs and emotional trauma to those
suffering and significant taxpayers spending on emergency response and long term health care
costs.
Older adults are particularly vulnerable according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. The pedestrian fatality rate rises significantly at age 45+ and by age 75, a
person is more than twice as likely as a 16/20 years old to die being hit by a car.
In Massachusetts 300 people die each year from road traffic crashes and around 4000 are
seriously injured. Should we accept the loss of life or disabling injuries due to preventable
crashes on our roadways? Can we remove the risks of deaths and severe injuries, when
people, especially those who are older or who do not drive, travel on our roads. Yes, we have
the power to prevent all these.
VISION ZERO focuses on how we design and operate our roadway system and we can remove
the risk of death and injury for roadways users especially those who are most vulnerable.
What is Vision Zero?
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing
safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
Vision Zero recognises that people will sometimes make mistakes. For this road system and
related policies should be designed to ensure those inevitable mistakes do not result in severe
injuries and fatalities. This means that system designers and policy makers are expected to
improve the roadway environment, policies and other related systems to lessen the severity of
crashes.
Vision Zero is a multi disciplinary approach, bringing together diverse and necessary
stakeholders to address these complex problems.
Vision Zero is not a slogan, not a tagline, not even just a programme. It is a fundamentally
different way to approach traffic safety.
What are the Strategies to Commit Vision Zero?
1. Building a sustaining leadership, collaboration and accountability- especially among a
diverse group of stakeholders to include transport professionals, policy makers, public health
officials, police and community members.
2. Collecting, analysing and using data to understand trends and potential disproportionate
impacts of traffic deaths.
3. Prioritizing equity and community engagement.
4. Managing speeds to safe levels.
5. Setting a timeline to achieve zero traffic deaths and serious injuries which brings urgency
and accountability and ensuring transparency on progress and challenges
Vision Zero Network
As a non profit project, the Vision Zero Network is committed to dffining, building
momentum,and advancing the concept in communities across the country.They are bringing key
stakeholders together to declare that, recognizing these tragedies as preventable with the right
strategies and commitment. Their goal is safe mobility for all.
Network Provides:
1. Case Studies- The Network features case studies on city and initiatives that are leading the
way in Vision Zero policy and action.
2. Equity- Vision Zero recognizes that all people have the right to move about their communities
safely.
3 Safety Over Speed- Safe speed is a core tenent of Vision Zero and the safe systems
approach. Teach how cities are managing speed and more about safe systems.
4. Resolutions And Directives - Provide strong resolutions of different cities.
5. - Maps - Provide maps of different Vision Zero cities.
6. Provide action plan of different cities.
7. Provide studies and reports
8. Provide case studies on topics of interest to cities developing Vision Zero strategies.
9. - International resources - Provide strategies and fact sheets from followers of International
Vision Zero.
10. Webinars and recordings
Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition
Advocates for the implementation of Vision ZerolN Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and for the
reduction of traffic injuries and deaths across Massachusetts. The new and growing coalition
includes, community based organisations, non profit businesses, civic groups and individuals
representing communities across the state.
As per the Report there were 78 Pedestrian fatalities and 6 bicyclists fatalities in 2019 in
Massachusetts
Cities and Towns Following Vision Zero in Massachusetts
City of Boston - Committed in March 2015 (Boston's Vision Zero Plan)
City of Cambridge - Committed in March 2016 (Cambridge's Vision Zero PIan4
City of Somerville - Committed in Sep 2017 (Somerville's Vision Zero PIan4
Why is there a Need for Vision Zero?
In the city, Traffic is on the increase and the side by side population is also increasing. And
there are other factors also as:
1. The increase in distracted driving is a threat to all transportation users.
2. The increase in local delivery activity that has accompanied the continued rise of on- line
retail has added a significant no of large vehicles, often operating in a suboptional manner and
adding to the chaotic feel on many streets.
3. The rise of transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, while convenient for users,
sometimes these drivers have less access to training and safety education than other
professional drivers.
4. On going development of Automated Vehicles.
With all these factors in play, Vision ZERO can be a critical addition to the conversation around
Transportation, Public Health, Sustainability and ensuring that the safety of those who travel in
the city is a paramount consideration.
Safety on roads is a major requirement for an Age Friendly community. The economic, socia,
and personal benefits to be gained make clear the wisdom of taking action to create
communities that are more Age Friendly. What we do now makesWhen Vision Zero our
communities good places to grow up and grow old and will yield results not only for Today's
elders but also for tomorrow's.
When Vision Zero was founded in Sweden in 1997, it was founded on the belief . that loss of life
is not an acceptable price to pay for mobility. Vision Zero takes a system approach to enhancing
safety,rathe than exclusively faulting drivers and other users of the transportation system. Vision
Zero places the core responsibility for accidents on the overall system design, addressing
infrastructure design , vehicle technology and enforcement. The approach has resulted in
noteworthy successes.
The NYC Action Plan cites successes from several US states that have implemented similar
approaches with dramatic results, including a 43% reduction in Traffic fatalities in Minnesota, a
48%in Utah and 40% decrease in Washington State.
According to one of the architects of Vision Zero Policy, system design should be based on the
promise that humans are fallible and will make mistakes. If you take Nuclear Power Station, if
you take aviation, if you take a rail system, all of them are based on the idea that those all are
operated by people, who can make mistakes. The same understanding should influence
Roadways design, where traffic calming, well marked crosswalks and pedestrian zones and
separated bike lanes can help minimise the consequences of a mistake.According to Vision
Zero philosophy " In every situation, a person might fail, the road system should not "