Safe Streets for All: Vision Zero

Click here to download the Vision Zero Toolkit, released August 2015!

Our goal is to have zero deaths or life-altering injuries due to roadway design or user error in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Vision Zero began in 1997 in Sweden with a policy aimed to eliminate deaths and major injuries on their roads by 2020, with accompanying strategies. Vision Zero is the idea that every traffic collision is preventable, whether through engineering, education or enforcement. Since 1997, Sweden has been able to reduce their traffic fatalities by about 50%.

Numerous studies show that there are four types of people biking: strong and fearless, enthused and confident, and interested but concerned, and no way, no how. It is typically the “interested but concerned” group that is the largest, and it is those people we must target when thinking of building infrastructure that will attract them to try riding a bike or creating new policies to support bicycling. The Office of Traffic Safety showed that there were 256 pedestrians injured or killed and 244 bicyclists injured or killed in San Mateo County in 2012; and 577 pedestrians injured or killed and 746 bicyclists injured or killed in Santa Clara County in 2012. However, studies show the injury rate to people biking decreases as rates of bicycling increases. 

The Vision Zero Toolkit is framed using the E’s of street safety improvements (Evaluation and Planning, Engineering, Education, Encouragement). It is essential that municipalities also think of Engagement and Equity as they work toward a Vision Zero program that is inclusive and impactful. 2020 Update: This Toolkit was originally published in 2015. Since then, SVBC has changed its stance on incorporating Enforcement as part of a Vision Zero strategy. Read more here. We’ll work on getting an update to the Vision Zero Toolkit as well.

Policy Goals:

• Vision Zero Policy in every city

• Vision Zero Plan in every city

• Dedicated Vision Zero funding in every city

• Reduce speed limits/operating speeds

• Target speeds

• Reduced speed limits around schools and senior centers

• Change state law so that the 85th percentile rule isn’t used to set speed limits

• Change state law to allow automated speed enforcement

Metrics: 

• # of deaths and major injuries of people biking/walking, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color

Current programs:
The Commercial Vehicle Driver Training, offered by Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition to companies that utilize professional drivers for employee alternative transportation, provides information on best practices for driving large commercial vehicles when sharing the road with bicycles and pedestrians. We cover bicycling rules of the road, common causes of bicycle/vehicle/pedestrian conflict, anticipated bicyclist behavior in various situations, Bay Area-specific cases, and maneuvering skills for optimum predictability and collision prevention. This training is designed to improve safety and comfort for all users of the road.

 Past Campaigns

• Daly City Vision Zero Resolution and Plan

• San José adopts Vision Zero

• City of San Mateo sets a Vision Zero goal in Sustainable Streets Plan

• Three feet for Safety Act