Vision, Strategies, Action - Vision Zero Network
Vision, Strategies, Action:Guidelines for an EffectiveVision Zero Action PlanDecember 2017Action Plan Guidelines1
AcknowledgementsWe thank LivableStreets Allianceand the Massachusetts Vision ZeroCoalition for their partnership inwriting this report.Primary authors include KathleenFerrier and Leah Shahum of VisionZero Network and Louisa Gag andStacy Thompson of LivableStreetsAlliance.Graphic design by Rachel Krause ofBanjo Creative.Action Plan Guidelines2
IntroductionAWhat Distinguishes Vision Zerocross the country, U.S. towns and cities arecommitting to Vision Zero, which, in additionto setting the goal of zero traffic deaths or severeinjuries, also commits communities to a fundamentalshift in how they approach traffic safety.Once a community has committed to VisionZero, it should create an Action Plan toclearly lay out action steps, timelines, andpriorities and include broader community andstakeholder input.At its best, Vision Zero has the potential to galvanizea thorough and lasting shift in how we design anduse our transportation systems to prioritize thepreservation and quality of human life. At its worst,Vision Zero runs the risk of becoming a watered-downslogan that provides only a vague attempt toward real,life-saving change.Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all trafficfatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe,healthy, equitable mobility for all. In creating a VisionZero Action Plan, stakeholders should understand,acknowledge, and discuss how Vision Zero differs fromthe traditional approach to traffic safety:Any Vision Zero Action Plan must be rootedin the understanding that traffic deaths arepreventable through:» The prioritization of proven safety strategies» Multi-departmental collaboration toward theshared goal of zero» A focus on data-driven decision-making» A systems-based approachThe guidelines presented here are meant for communitiesthat have already committed to Vision Zero, to outline keyprinciples of the initiative, and just as importantly, to helpcommitted communities effectively move from planning toon-the-ground implementation and institutionalization ofsafety priorities.Vision Zero is not just “business as usual”with a new name; its core principles must beacknowledged and built into everyday efforts.(Read our publication Moving from Vision to Actionto learn more on Fundamental Principles, Policiesand Practices of Vision Zero.)Traditional ApproachVision ZeroTraffic deaths are inevitableTraffic deaths are preventablePerfect human behaviorIntegrate human failing in approachPrevent collisionsVSPrevent fatal and severe crashesIndividual responsibilitySystems approachSaving lives is expensiveSaving lives is NOT EXPENSIVEAction Plan Guidelines3
How to use this guideA Vision Zero Action Plan should be a livingdocument. This guide is designed to help citieswho have committed to Vision Zero build animplementation plan that is concrete and actiondriven, while being responsive to the context andneeds of the community you are serving.This guide lays out two key components of astrong Action Plan: Foundational Elementsand Actionable Strategies. These keycomponents are underpinned by a process ofcontinued Community Engagement andattention to Equity. Below we have definedeach of these components in more detail.All together this creates a guide that is a road mapfor action, as well as a tool for measuring andassessing progress towards the bottom line goal ofeliminating severe injury crashes and fatalities.Foundational ElementsFoundational elements are just that - foundationalto the success of Vision Zero implementation.These are baseline best practices for creating anystrong plan of action.Actionable StrategiesWhile every city and town is unique, there arecertain strategies that are fundamental to achievingVision Zero. This is especially important to ensurelocal actions follow the Vision Zero strategy ofprioritizing safe roadway design and managingspeed, amongst other strategies.Robust Community EngagementThe process of building an Action Plan is just asimportant as the final product. Vision Zero is basedon the concept of shared responsibility for safety,and outreach and engagement to communities —especially those who are most vulnerable on theroadways — is absolutely essential for success.Recommendations to underpin thesuccess of your Vision Zero Action Plan:1. Create a multi-stakeholder Vision ZeroTask Force that includes perspectives fromrepresentatives in public health, transportation,policy makers, police, community, and advocates,among others.2. Conduct meaningful community outreach priorto releasing the Action Plan, in order to inform itspriorities.3. Gather input from residents, particularly thosein Communities of Concern—specifically lowincome communities, communities of color, seniors,children, people with disabilities, and people whorely on walking, biking, and transit as their primarymeans of transportation—about what they see andexperience on the streets. Learn about their uniquecontext and adapt the language and approach youare using.Equity PriorityEquity is not only a desired outcome of Vision Zero,it is integral to every component of Vision Zeroplanning and implementation. Equitable strategiessuch as prioritizing safety improvements in areasthat have historically been underserved, andbuilding robust engagement strategies to reachthose who are most vulnerable on the roadwaysand who have not typically been included intraditional city planning processes are fundamentalto achieving Vision Zero.Recommendations to underpin thesuccess of your Vision Zero Action Plan:1. Prioritize outreach and street design safetyefforts in Communities of Concern, which havebeen traditionally underserved.2. Utilize data to determine if people of colorare disproportionately being targeted by lawenforcement in your community. Make a publiccommitment that Vision Zero efforts will not resultin racial profiling and commit to report publicly onthis issue to build trust with the community.3. Provide anti-racism and cultural competencytraining for all staff and departments involved inVision Zero.Throughout this document, we have providedexamples of what equitable approaches might looklike as you build out the Foundational Elements andActionable Strategies for your Action Plan. Theseexamples should not be considered all inclusive, aswe acknowledge this is an area with great room forexpansion and improvement.Action Plan Guidelines4
The Vision Zero tionA good action plan is a living document and includes a dynamic, iterative process to establishand implement strategies, evaluate progress, and make corrective actions as needed,all the while engaging community and prioritizing equity.Action Plan Guidelines5
Foundational Elements1. Build arobust dataframeworkVision Zero is a data-driven approach, and gathering,analyzing, utilizing, and sharing both formal data oninjury crashes and community input to understandtraffic safety priorities is fundamental to Vision Zerosuccess.We recommend that injury crash data becollected before the Action Plan is created,focusing on fatal and serious injuries,specifically.The data should answer questions like:» Are injury crashes more likely to occur incertain locations? At certain times of day?» Are some demographics and road usersover-represented in injury crashes? If so, who?Where?» What crash factors are prominent? (Examplesinclude behaviors such as high speeds, leftturns, or the lack of Complete Streets facilitiesfor people walking/bicycling.)It is also important to consider who is involvedin collecting and putting forward the data. Aburgeoning best practice includes supplementingtraditional injury crash data collected by police,with hospital data. This has been shown to betterrepresent certain populations, such as low-incomeand communities of color, and those walking andbicycling. Including public health departmentprofessionals, policy makers, and other stakeholdersin the data collection and assessment process,along with those in the transportation and policedepartments, can help ensure a more complete andcomprehensive understanding of the data.all communities have limited resources, this datadriven approach will help allocate resources to thoselocations that need them most.Equity LENSWhile data is important, it also needs context andusually does not tell the full story on its own. Forexample, communities that have been systematicallymarginalized may be less likely to report trafficcrashes. Additionally, some locations feel sodangerous and unwelcoming that people avoidwalking or biking there, which means they are notelevated as problem spots with high injuries, but stillmay deserve attention. Depending on data alonewill leave gaps in your strategy and may compoundinequities in already underserved communities.To gather an accurate picture, a successful andequitable data-driven approach will require bothcollecting data as well as a robust communityengagement process that prioritizes outreach inCommunities of Concern.Relevant ExamplePortland’s Vision Zero programoverlays the city’s High Injury Network withits Communities of Concern as shown in theimage below. Cities including Denver, LosAngeles, Chicago, and San Francisco use a similarmethodology.Ultimately, analysis of Vision Zero data shouldlead to the development of a High Injury Networkthat geographically identifies locations whereinvestments in safety are most urgent, which in turnwill drive your implementation strategy. Given thatAction Plan Guidelines6
2. Setmeasurablegoals witha cleartimeline forimplementationRelevant ExampleEach of the strategies listed inPhiladelphia’s Vision Zero ActionPlan includes the Lead Agency and a timeline forimplementation. The timeline distinguishes betweenshort-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term goals.Clear, measurable short-term and mid-term goals,combined with timelines and ownership fromresponsible government agencies, will create aframework that is easier to evaluate and fund, andwill build buy-in, accountability, and transparencythroughout the implementation process.We recommend identifying your “reach zeroyear” as a baseline. Many cities are using a 10year time frame as their baseline. Your Action Planshould then include near term (2-3 year) goals alongwith interim goals and measures of progress (5-8year time horizon). This will ensure that your ActionPlan is more than just a 1-2 year list of priorities,but truly a long-term strategy.Each goal identified in your Action Planshould be measurable and provideanswers to the following questions:» What does success look like? What are themeasures of success?» Who is primarily responsible for achievingthis goal and in what timeframe?» What are the conditions and limitations forsuccess? (For example, are more staff and/orfunding needed in certain areas to succeed? Ifso, be clear about that need.)Equity LENSThere is overwhelming evidence that communitiesof color are disproportionately impacted by trafficcrashes. When setting goals for Vision Zero, it isimportant to both acknowledge these disparities,as well as set specific goals designed to close thisgap, in addition to reducing the overall number ofserious crashes.Action Plan Guidelines7
3. BeaccountableVision Zero is rooted in the shared responsibilityamong system designers and policymakers to designand operate safe systems for transportation. Clearownership of Action Plan strategies is important toachieving success and long-term institutionalization ofVision Zero principles and outcomes.Each Action Plan strategy should identifythe lead agency responsible, along withsupporting/partner agencies, and budgetneeds.Being clear about the budget implications for eachstrategy will help ensure the sustainability of yourVision Zero work and identify the need for additionalresources early on. This will also help to foster morecross-departmental collaboration and communitypartnerships to help fill those resource gaps.Questions you should answer for eachstrategy:» Is the strategy currently funded? If not, what isthe need?» Will you need to invest in training for planners,engineers, public works staff, police, or othersto ensure everyone is working with the sameunderstanding of Vision Zero implementation?» Are there other key influencers outside of thecity family that will be key to this goal’s success,such as the county or state? If so, lay out anaction to address this need.» Have you considered the seasonality of yourAction Plan? Do annual weather patterns impactyour construction schedules? Will you needto buy new equipment to ensure year-roundmaintenance of new facilities?Equity LENSWhen you are planning annual Vision Zero fundingpriorities, make sure to include support for trainingand resources for city staff on the role structuralracism has played in creating inequitable street andsafety conditions in your community. It is importantto ensure that municipal staff have the training,resources, and tools necessary to achieve the goalsthey’ve been assigned in an equitable manner.Relevant ExampleDenver’s Action Plan includes time-bound measurable goals with the responsible city departments identified.Action Plan Guidelines8
Relevant Example4. EnsuretransparencyCreated by alrigelfrom the Noun ProjectThe process of establishing baseline data, creatingthe Action Plan, and assessing progress towardsthe goal of zero must be transparent to keystakeholders and the broader community.Seattle routinely posts Vision Zero updateson its website. For example, each of theprojects listed below opens to a new pagewith more project details and informationfor “What’s happening now?” The city alsoprovides progress reports and additionalproject analyses to update the public.Provide regular opportunities to measureprogress, celebrate success, identifyunforeseen challenges, prevent againstproblematic actions, and create anopportunity for course-corrections whenneeded.At a minimum, cities should prioritizethe following actions to promotetransparency:» Maintain a comprehensive, public websiteto share crash data and progress on ActionPlan strategies, and solicit feedback on safetyconcerns, projects, and strategies;» Meet routinely with your Vision Zero TaskForce to solicit input, review data, and provideongoing feedback on progress and challenges;» Meet with and solicit input from residentsin an ongoing dialogue about Vision Zeroprojects, priorities and safety concerns; and» Seek opportunities for 3rd party assessmentof your progress, and report regularly (annuallyat a minimum) to key stakeholders, decisionmaking bodies, and the public.Equity LENSAs part of San Francisco’s Vision Zero commitment,the city’s Traffic Commander reports quarterlyto the SF Police Commission, in a public forum,on their traffic enforcement activities, providingopportunities for transparency and ensuring againstproblematic activities, such as racial bias in trafficstops.Action Plan Guidelines9
Actionable strategiesPrioritizeRoadway DesignFocus on SpeedManagementRoadway design is the most importantfactor that influences speed and safety. Cities shouldconsider and plan transportation systems that makeslower, safe speeds the norm to protect the mostvulnerable road users, especially in areas with historicpatterns of fatalities and serious injuries, which will, inturn, mean that all road users are safer.In addition to roadway design, cities should employspecific strategies to reduce speed for the sake ofsafety. Most important is designing (or redesigning)roadways for safe, intended speeds. Provencountermeasures include lowering speed limits and thesmart use of automated speed enforcement. A 2017study by the National Transportation Safety Boardrecommends both greater usage of automated speedenforcement and flexibility for cities to lower speedsfor the sake of safety.Recommended Actionable Strategies:1. Invest in capital safety treatments in high injuryareas, prioritizing improvements in Communitiesof Concern. Along with large capital improvements,consider low-cost, near-term safety treatments, suchas painted corner sidewalk extensions and paint-andpost-protected bike lanes.2. Identify intersections, corridors, and areasthrough predictive analysis where severe crashes arelikely to occur, based on characteristics of the builtenvironment, to proactively target interventions andprevent future serious crashes.3. Create a rapid response protocol and deliverytimelines for safety improvements when seriouscrashes do occur. This includes a rapid, on-theground assessment of the crash scene and immediateimplementation for short-term or pilot interventions.4. Employ policies including Complete Streets andTransit First in all projects in order to increase safetyfor all modes, and to boost the number of trips bywalking, bicycling, and transit. Overall, more peoplemoving by these modes and fewer by private autoswill boost safety.Public transportation investment is among the mostcost effective ways to enhance traffic safety for acommunity. Public transit passengers have less than1/10 the per-mile crash rates as automobile occupants,and transit-oriented communities have less than 1/5 thetotal per capita traffic fatality rates as in automobiledependent communities.Recommended Actionable Strategies:1. Prioritize designing streets to reduce vehicle speedin the High Injury Network first. Most Vision Zerocities have found that a relatively small percentageof the local road network contributes to the majorityof severe crashes. Reducing speed on these roadsthrough proven design measures will bring some of thebiggest benefits.2. Lower speed limits to fit context. In communitieswhere there is a mix of people walking, biking,driving, and taking transit, speeds are generally moreappropriate in the 20-25 mph range, and particularlyin areas with schools, senior centers, parks, and transitcenters.3. Institute an automated speed enforcementprogram, a strategy which is proving effectivein encouraging safe behavior and saving lives incommunities in the U.S. and around the world. Thisshould be carefully planned to ensure that safety andequity are the priorities of the program, avoiding thepitfalls of troubling perceptions about an over focus onrevenue generation.4. Create a neighborhood traffic calming programto reduce the number and severity of crashes onresidential streets. These programs can be designedto allow communities to identify their own problemsand nominate themselves for projects as in Boston’sNeighborhood Slow Streets program.Source: American Public Transportation AssociationAction Plan Guidelines10
Utilize ImpactfulEducationStrategiesWhile roadway design and speed management arecore to Vision Zero, education can bolster the successof Vision Zero implementation. While this includeseducating people about safe road behaviors, it alsoincludes educating policy makers, decision makers, andother influencers about the importance of Vision Zeroand the strategies that are proven to be most effective inorder to make real change.Equity LENSDevelop educational materials and communicate inlanguages that are appropriate for diverse communities.This may include multilingual flyers, pop-up informationtents within the community, having information availableon the city website, and working with community-basedorganizations who have developed relationships andtrust in that community. Read our report Elevating Equityin Vision Zero Communications for more information.Recommended Actionable Strategies:1. Use data and research to prioritize the mosteffective education/outreach strategies. This includesfocusing on dangerous driving behaviors such asspeeding, distracted driving, and driving under theinfluence, while avoiding overemphasizing attention on“distracted” pedestrians. Using this data-driven approachto proactively educate key stakeholders, includinggovernment
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