PHILADELPHIA – As part of Vision Zero Pedestrian Safety Month, Mayor Jim Kenney joined with City officials and members of the Vision Zero Task Force today to release Philadelphia’s Vision Zero Annual Report and cut the ribbon at the Broad Street Median and Corridor Safety Project.
“We remain committed to continue to work on our goal of zero traffic deaths by 2030. We cannot accept lives lost as the cost of getting around our city,” said Mayor Kenney. “ If we design our streets for the safety of those most vulnerable–people walking–we can improve safety for everyone living, working, and traveling on them. I want to thank the Streets Department and Office of Complete Streets for delivering on our promise to implement traffic safety measures on key corridors such as North Broad Street.”
North Broad Street is a Vision Zero High Injury Network street, with a high number of driver and pedestrian crashes. Pedestrians on this section of North Broad are involved in only six percent of the crashes but account for 50 percent of the people killed or seriously injured from traffic crashes.
“Safe street infrastructure is an essential part of the City’s commitment to Vision Zero,” said Deputy Managing Director for Transportation, Mike Carroll. “Keeping pedestrians safe on North Broad is a priority for the City. By building these medians we are making it safer for all who travel here.”
“The designs for the project were done in-house with the expertise of Streets Department employees,” said Philadelphia Department of Streets, Deputy Commissioner for Transportation, Richard Montanez. “Keeping with Vision Zero goals, we believe the project puts us one step closer in reducing crash risks that end in fatalities.”
The City received federal funding for the project to install raised medians from Poplar Street to Cecil B Moore Avenue and create pedestrian refuges at intersections.
“Resources to support overall pedestrian safety in partnership with other community revitalization efforts is an important area of focus to the North Broad community,” said Executive Director for North Broad Renaissance, Shalimar Thomas. “That’s why efforts like Vision Zero are important to the North Broad Renaissance, as it’s helping support our goals towards a cleaner and safer North Broad Street for the many individuals who utilize this corridor to live, work and play.”
Additionally, the City’s Vision Zero annual report shows progress toward meeting the goal of zero traffic deaths on Philadelphia streets by 2030. Highlights from the update include:
- With the installation of speed cameras at eight locations on Roosevelt Boulevard, speeding violations were reduced by 93 percent between June 2020 and February 2021.
- Completed transformative safety improvements in locations such as North Broad Street, American Street, Frankford Avenue/Trenton Avenue/York Street, MLK Drive.
- Delivered 5.3 miles of new protected bike lanes this year to date for a total of 13.5 miles citywide as of September 2021.
- Launched Safe Routes Philly working with 12 schools in the 2021-2022 school year to implement programs and the development of a youth ambassador program.
- Indego Bike Share system is expanding and on track to reach 30 new stations and 300 new electric assist bicycles in 2021.
- SEPTA’s pilot of collision avoidance technologies on buses and trolleys.
View the Vision Zero Annual Report 2021.
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About Vision Zero: On November 7, 2016, Mayor Jim Kenney signed an Executive Order to create the Vision Zero Task Force. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries, while increasing safety, health, and mobility for all. Philadelphia is committed to reducing traffic-related deaths to zero by 2030. To learn more, visit VisionZeroPHL.com.