In April 2022 we launched Dismantling Law Enforcement's Role in Traffic Safety: A Roadmap for Massachusetts. This report offers a vision and framework for moving toward traffic safety without police. You can check out the full report here.
A new standard for safety on our streets — Vision Zero ensures a basic right of safety for all people as they move about their communities. In Massachusetts, Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville have each made a public commitment to Vision Zero, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Download our Vision Zero Quick Facts (Español)
LivableStreets is a member of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Visit the Coalition website to learn more.
In 2021, Vision Zero Coalition and the Great Neighborhoods Network put together a questionnaire of questions about mobility & housing; candidates from Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville responded with their answers. Check it out here!
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.
- A commitment to Vision Zero shifts the priority of transportation policies and projects from speed to safety, with the philosophy that crashes can be avoided if streets are designed to protect all people.
- Vision Zero sets a timeline and a commitment and brings stakeholders together to ensure a basic right of safety for all people as they move about their communities.
- The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition has successfully led efforts to build public support for Vision Zero, improve proposed street designs, influence legislation, and hold city leaders accountable.
Why Vision Zero?
- Traffic deaths are routinely processed by the public as the unfortunate result of car "accidents" — leaving no one accountable for making changes that can prevent these deaths.
- Cultural attitudes must change to ensure political accountability around safe streets by applying the same focus to traffic deaths as we apply to public campaigns around drunken driving and work site safety.
- To prevent traffic deaths, greater collaboration among local traffic planners, engineers, police officers, policymakers, and public health professionals is needed. Vision Zero brings together diverse and necessary stakeholders to address the complex problem of road safety.
“When a story comes out about cyclists being injured in Boston, every single time I'm thinking, well, we could have prevented it. And people will always argue that cyclists are not being careful or that it's the driver's fault or the cyclist's fault. We just have to stop pointing fingers and just work on solving the problem together. As lofty as that sounds it's what works."
– Dahianna Lopez, PhD Health Policy, Harvard University | WBUR
Why Now?
- Nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2017, marking the second year in a row of the highest number of fatalities seen in 25 years (Governor's Highway Safety Association).
- In 2017, eighty people walking and ten people biking in Massachusetts were killed by people driving vehicles.
- Through the support of the Vision Zero Network and other national partnerships, cities in the U.S. are being given an opportunity leverage their shared resources to transform the culture and expectations around traffic safety through public policy, roadway designs, and other systemic practices to prioritize safety.
"Our shared goals to stop traffic deaths are ambitious and urgent. We will get there faster together by learning from one another.”
– Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation
What You Can Do
Get involved: Sign up for the MA Vision Zero Coalition email list, and download and share our Vision Zero Quick Facts.
Volunteer: Join us in spreading the word about the importance of safe and livable streets. Our volunteers are actively involved in tracking projects, tabling at events, and serving as Street Ambassadors.
Stand up and be counted: Attend a (virtual) public meeting. See LivableStreets calendar— it’s updated daily!
Become a member: Join our growing community of people invested in creating safe streets and livable communities. Become a member of LivableStreets today!
Contact: [email protected]