Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order recommitting Philadelphia to the goal of reaching zero traffic deaths at a reception on the eve of Vision Zero PHL 2024, the program’s annual conference.
The mayor’s goal is to focus on strategies that will eliminate fatal crashes as quickly as possible, in support of the Regional Vision Zero by 2050 goal.
The executive order directs the Office of Multimodal Planning to assist in developing, reviewing and publishing all checklists called for in the City’s Complete Streets ordinance from 2013, update the High Injury Network (HIN) and set goals for safety improvements to every mile of the HIN by 2030.
The HIN identifies corridors with highest rates of fatalities and serious injuries per mile. It includes the 12% of streets that account for 80% of fatal and serious injury crashes.
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“Every Philadelphian deserves to be able to navigate the city - whether that be by foot, public transit, bicycle, or personal vehicle - and get home safely,” said Mayor Parker. “We are making a commitment to all Philadelphians that this administration will improve road safety and save lives from being lost to senseless traffic violence.”
Among the corridors included in the HIN are Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Broad Street, Lincoln Drive and Roosevelt Boulevard.
Speeding and aggressive driving rose after 2020 and continue to lead to far more fatalities each year than the pre-pandemic trend. In 2023, 120 people lost their lives on Philadelphia’s streets, according to the Mayor’s office.
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The city has secured hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in transportation with a focus on safety.
Examples include:
- $46.4 million from the first two rounds of the Safe Streets for All grant program,
- $78 million for the Roosevelt Boulevard Route for Change project from the Mega grant program,
- $25 million for North Philadelphia School Slow Zones from the RAISE grant program,
- $159 million for the Chinatown Stitch project to cap the Vine Street Expressway from the Reconnecting Communities grant program
This includes projects that calm driver speeds, make more space for people walking and biking and encourage use of public transportation.
Complete Streets projects installed since 2017 have resulted in 20% less injury crashes and 34% less fatal and serious injury crashes compared to concurrent trends on similar roads. Speed safety cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard have resulted in 95% fewer speeding violations and saved 36 lives, according to the mayor’s office.
The 10th annual Vision Zero conference was held on Friday, March 22 at Temple University.
