NYC Council Releases New Analysis and Public Interactive Map on Vision Zero Interventions Most Effective at Reducing Pedestrian

Analysis of nearly 10,000 intersections finds interventions that slow vehicle speeds and increase pedestrian visibility deliver greatest impact

NEW YORK, NY - Today, the New York City Council released a new analysis evaluating the effectiveness of nine Vision Zero street safety interventions, providing one of the most comprehensive and data-driven assessments to date of which street safety strategies have been most successful at reducing pedestrian casualties. The analysis confirms that while Vision Zero has had a positive effect on street safety, not all interventions have the same impact across the city.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury in New York City. Since the launch of the Vision Zero initiative in 2014, the City has implemented hundreds of street safety treatments aimed at reducing traffic violence, including speed humps, turn traffic calming, and speed limit reduction.

The Council's analysis, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2023, found that interventions designed to slow vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian visibility produced the greatest reductions in causalities, which are defined as both injuries and fatalities. The most successful interventions include:

• Turn Traffic Calming, which reduced pedestrian casualties by 27 percent.

• Neighborhood Slow Zones, which reduced pedestrian casualties by 21 percent.

• Leading Pedestrian Intervals, which reduced pedestrian casualties by 13 percent.

• Citywide Speed Limit Reduction, which reduced pedestrian casualties by 10 percent.

See the Council Data Team's full analysis here.

"To keep New Yorkers safe on our streets, we must invest in effective interventions that reduce injuries and save lives," said Speaker Julie Menin. "The Council's data analysis provides valuable insight into which Vision Zero interventions are having the greatest impact across the city and where we should focus these resources. I thank our Council's Data Team for their thorough and thoughtful analysis, and I look forward to advancing data-driven solutions to improve street safety for all New Yorkers."

"Vision Zero was built on a powerful premise: that every traffic death is preventable," said Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "That belief is what launched the initiative over a decade ago and continues to underpin our efforts today. Thanks to the hard work of the Council's data team, we now know which interventions are the most effective in achieving the goal of comprehensive street safety. Turn traffic calming, slow zones, and leading pedestrian intervals-these all save lives. We will ensure the City fulfills its responsibility and uses this important insight to continue to make our streets safer for everyone."

Along with the analysis, the Council released a new public tool for New Yorkers to search how intersections in their neighborhoods have improved due to the implementation of Vision Zero interventions. The interactive map advances accessibility and transparency by empowering users to better understand how their streets have changed-and which interventions they can advocate for to improve street safety.

The Council's Data Team analyzed pedestrian casualty data at 9,562 intersections that received Vision Zero interventions between 2015 and 2021. The analysis compares outcomes before and after the physical and regulatory changes were made to understand which interventions produced the strongest safety outcomes.

The Council plans to hold an oversight hearing this fall to examine the report's findings, discuss broader Vision Zero strategies, and hear from City agencies about how this data analysis can better inform future street safety investments.

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