Mayor’s Executive Directive on Vision Zero Takes Aim at Pedestrian Casualties
Mayor Garcetti’s Executive Directives provide simple, clear statements on citywide issues that can guide community leaders and groups toward improving our city by making our streets safer and more pleasant, boosting our economy, and increasing economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
Executive Directive 10, Vision Zero, signed last month, affirms the right of pedestrians to walk on safe streets without the danger of being killed by vehicular traffic. Los Angeles ranks second in the nation for the number of pedestrians killed by motor vehicles. Since 2009, fatalities while walking account for more than half of fatal traffic collisions – nearly FOUR TIMES the national average. Children and older adults are particularly vulnerable, and are five times more likely than people driving cars to be killed or severely injured in a crash.
The citywide Vision Zero initiative puts human lives at the top of our priority list. It is premised on the fundamental principle that loss of life by traffic collision is unacceptable. The goal of Vision Zero is to target all traffic fatalities with an emphasis on the most vulnerable users of our streets: people who walk and bicycle. An effective road safety system must take into account human fallibility and be designed to diminish the chances of human error, and must lower the likelihood of severe injury or death when crashes occur. Safe mobility is critical for all parts of our society.
As stated by Councilmember Mitch Englander, “With nearly half of all traffic collisions in Los Angeles being hit-and-runs, Vision Zero had never been more critical for our community. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee and as a Reserve LAPD Officer, I have seen firsthand the critical need for not only this initiative but its strict enforcement on our streets.”
To achieve the directive’s goals, the Mayor is establishing a Vision Zero Steering Committee and Task Force and calling for actions including: an in-depth analysis by LADOT of crash profiles, types of collisions occurring, and possible countermeasures; a plan by BSS to incorporate Vision Zero strategies into major restriping and crosswalk projects; prioritized lighting projects; enhanced crash site data collection; annual walking and bicycle counts; a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.
Click here to read the full directive and learn more about Vision Zero. Through short- and long-term planning, we can eliminate traffic deaths and create a safe and reliable transit system for all modes.