Vision zero

Vision Zero: End traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries with a systemic approach to road safety.

• A study on 12 US cities over 13 years found that building more protected bike lanes leads to fewer fatalities for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. According to Nicholas Ferenchak, PhD, assistant professor in the department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Mexico, "this research has boiled it down for city planners: create cycling facilities, and you'll see the impact." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529113036.htm

• A comprehensive assessment of 100 bike lanes in New York City through 2021 found that protected bike lanes reduced the risk of bike crashes by 34% while also increasing ridership by over 50%. Protected bike lanes were found to be most effective on wide, one-way streets (like Third Avenue). https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/safe-streets-for-cycling.pdf

• A 2014 analysis of Manhattan's protected bike lane network found that street redesigns reduced injury risk for all users. Injuries among pedestrians and vehicle drivers also decreased by 22% and 25% respectively on streets where protected bike lanes were installed. At the same time, motor vehicle travel speeds were not affected by new bike lanes. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2014-09-03-bicycle-path-data-analysis.pdf

• A separate, independent academic study of bike infrastructure installed in New York City from 1996-2006 found that on streets where new bike lanes were installed, the number of crashes remained similar even as the number of cyclists increased, indicating that the crash rate fell and cycling on these corridors became safer. At the same time, the number of crashes for vehicles as well as for pedestrians declined. These findings held across all areas of the city, including in busy retail areas. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483943/