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How a New Jersey city achieved 0 traffic deaths in 4 years : NPR


Motor vehicle crash deaths in the US increased 10.5% in 2021 from the year before.

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Motor vehicle crash deaths in the US increased 10.5% in 2021 from the year before.

John Lamparski / Getty Images

In January 2019, Sarah Riser was in the passenger seat when her son, Henry Zietlow, drove from Minnesota to Michigan for a ski trip. They were on the Wisconsin highway when an oncoming pickup truck pulled too much weight into their lane.

Sarah survived the collision. Henry is not. He is 18 years old.

It’s a horrible story, but Riser knows it’s also a popular one. Traffic deaths have increased over the past 16 years. In 2021, nearly 43,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes in the US – an increase of 10.5% compared to 2020.

In some parts of the country, however, efforts born of both tragedy and politics will send the numbers in a different direction. And in Hoboken, NJ. There hasn’t been a single traffic accident in the past four years.

Simple measures

Hoboken is a city of about 60,000 people located in the eye of Manhattan just across the Hudson River. According to city officials, its achievement in preventing road deaths is down to simple measures.

Ryan Sharp, Hoboken’s Director of Traffic and Parking, said the city has rolled out a number of initiatives to make certain intersections and roads safer – what he calls doing fast. Fast, high-impact solutions.

“Things like trying to improve visibility in the corners by what we call daylight,” he said. “So it’s possible to install something as simple as what we call a vertical divider or a flexible bollard. These poles are installed within 25 feet of a crosswalk and they are limited. make cars parked right on the pedestrian street.”

Hoboken has several advantages when it comes to reducing traffic-related deaths.

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Image of Michael M. Santiago / Getty


Hoboken has several advantages when it comes to reducing traffic-related deaths.

Image of Michael M. Santiago / Getty

These daylighting solutions eliminate blind spots for cars at intersections so they can see any cyclists, pedestrians or other cars as they approach and drive past or turn.

“One thing you won’t see is what’s called the top pedestrian zone,” says Sharp. “And that basically means we’ve programmed our traffic signals to give pedestrians an early start in seconds when they cross a pedestrian crossing during the pedestrian phase. pedestrians without having to worry about turning around.”

That allows pedestrians crossing to take up space in the crosswalk before any eager motorists attempt to turn.

But while the actual solution may be simple, its implementation can be much more complicated. Hoboken has a number of active elements in its favor that allow things like daylight and pedestrian spacing to come into play.

The Census 2020 is measured 60,419 people in about 2 square miles of the city, making it one of the most populous cities in the country. A more crowded city means more walkability, fewer people driving, and lower speed limits.

Political will also plays a part. Traffic and parking chiefs may work towards installing daytime lighting solutions, but that won’t happen unless the government is willing to allocate the budget.

Many leaders have publicly committed to Vision Zero, a commitment based on the Swedish road safety concept to eliminate all traffic deaths. Leah Shahum is the executive director and founder of the nonprofit Vision Zero Network and says every city in America, even Hoboken, can do better.

“We need to make sure the elected, the elected understand Vision Zero is not a slogan,” she said. “It’s not a slogan. It’s not even just a show, you know, it’s not something you put first. It’s really a paradigm shift in the way we do business. when it comes to transportation.”

Accountability Management

For a city to be included in the Zero Vision Network, Shahum said there are specific criteria.

“The city has a commitment from its top elected leadership, like the mayor or city manager, to aim for zero traffic deaths or serious injuries a day,” she said. speak. “We make them have a date, that they have a plan, that the plan has timelines, actions, deliverables, that there’s a fair component within that for equity.” equality of race and income.”

Following that plan on a large enough scale is something very few cities can do, she said. And the way accountability is measured for Vision Zero varies. Cities such as Denver, New York City and San Francisco have made report cards. Then there are local organizations like Livable Street in Boston, the Washington Area Cyclists Association in Washington, DC and WalkDenver in Denver advocating for safer streets in their city.

The Vision Zero network hopes to get more city leaders to sign up and take the matter seriously.

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The Vision Zero network hopes to get more city leaders to sign up and take the matter seriously.

Drew Angerer / Getty Images

It is these grassroots, local efforts that are doing the work to make a difference, says Shahum.

That’s why Sarah Riser worked with the Family Foundation for Safe Streets at her home in Saint Paul, Minn. There isn’t a local chapter in Minnesota, or any Midwestern state, so she does most of her singular activities, including holding vigils for victims of the shooting. collisions, and urges people to submit comments to the local government for a car assessment program.

It was hard work, and Riser said after losing his son, “I really didn’t do anything for a few months, even the better part of the first year.” But the grief and disappointment of Henry’s death eventually led her to the Family for safe roads and a cross-national network of advocates and advocacy.

“I feel very strongly that I don’t want my son to lose his life. . . ” And I hope that we can start to see smart progress and smart achievements. And then, I feel that I have contributed to a healthier world and a safer world on behalf of my son.”



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