Risk in the Roadway: Evaluating the Effect of Vision Zero on Traffic Crash Levels at New York City's Most Dangerous Intersections

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Abstract

In New York City in 2013, over 4,000 people were killed or seriously injured (fractures, brain damage, amputations) because of traffic crashes, with vehicles seriously injuring or causing a fatality approximately every two hours. The current study assesses the impact of Vision Zero, a five-pronged approach that aims to comprehensively improve traffic safety through street design, outreach, enforcement, legislation, and campaigns. Vision Zero interventions began in 2014 and remain actively administered.

Vision Zero programming has been implemented on a global scale to reduce traffic crashes and improve public safety at the city level. Although empirical research is scarce, the Vision Zero model has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the overall number of severe and fatal traffic crashes. However, no studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of Vision Zero in reducing traffic crashes at the most dangerous, micro-level units of analysis, such as high risk intersections.

The present study statistically analyzed to what extent traffic crash levels changed at 300 high risk intersections targeted by Vision Zero following the implementation of programming in 2014. The study used propensity score matching to compare targeted intersections with similar intersections not targeted by Vision Zero during pre-intervention years (2011-2013) and post-intervention years (2014-2016).

Authors

• Nathan Connealy, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• Eric Piza, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY