Is Vision Zero Successful?

It takes less than half an hour to get from Alexandria City, Virginia, to downtown Washington, D.C., and even less time to cross the border from one state to the other. Both adopted Vision Zero, a global initiative to put an end to traffic deaths and major injuries involving everyone who shares the road and sidewalks, such as drivers, passengers, cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. The initiative is based on the premise that these fatalities and serious injuries are preventable, and that there are ways for cities to stop them from happening. However, the success of Vision Zero has shown to be wildly different between Alexandria City and the District of Columbia.

Both have implemented new programs and projects, including redesigned roads and intersections, sought community feedback on the most dangerous roads, and taken various other steps to meet the goals of Vision Zero. And yet, the results between the two are on opposite ends of the spectrum: In 2023, there were zero traffic deaths in Alexandria, while D.C. reached a 16-year high, with 52 fatalities.

As Virginia pedestrian, cyclist, and auto accident attorneys who have represented victims of these needless tragedies in Alexandria and D.C. for decades, we’ve watched Vision Zero unfold in our communities. We’ve seen firsthand the changes to roads, highways, intersections, and other infrastructure, during a time when traffic fatalities across the country are on the rise.

But why have two cities that are so geographically close and are taking part in the same initiative seen such different results? The exact reasons for the disparity between DC and Alexandria aren’t fully understood, but several factors affect the success of such lofty goals. How they have adopted Vision Zero and the steps they’ve taken to make changes to the safety of roads are important, and now, D.C. is faced with finding out what’s caused the initiative to fail over the last decade.

Comparing Vision Zero in D.C. and Alexandria

In 2015, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the launch of Vision Zero DC, setting a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and major injuries by 2024. And yet, in 2023, traffic fatalities in D.C. were the highest they’ve been since 2007. Sadly, 52 people were killed and 363 suffered major injuries from traffic accidents. The District of Columbia will miss their Vision Zero target again in 2024. As of early September 2024, there have already been 34 traffic fatalities.

In contrast, Alexandria City, Virginia reported zero traffic fatalities in 2023. What makes the achievement in Alexandria even more commendable is that they did so when Virginia traffic fatalities increased by 24% over the last decade. The city won’t reach zero deaths or zero major injuries this year, but currently, there’s only been one death and few serious crashes.

It took time and a lot of planning to get to this point though. Between 2017, (the year Alexandria Vision Zero was adopted), and 2021, there were 150 traffic deaths. Achieving consistent results year after year and reaching Alexandria’s 2028 Vision Zero target is far from guaranteed. But last year’s successes – zero traffic deaths and just 15 severe injuries – are positive signs. Multiple programs and projects are working well together to combat preventable crashes.

Why Vision Zero Worked in Alexandria

It takes extensive research, planning, project audits, and funds to make Vision Zero a success anywhere. Like other places that have adopted the initiative, Alexandria has implemented a variety of programs and designed and created new infrastructure to lower the risk of fatal and serious traffic accidents.

Since pedestrian accidents lead to a much higher risk of being fatally injured, many Vision Zero changes throughout Alexandria have focused on protecting this vulnerable demographic. These initiatives include No Turn on Red (NOTR) signs and Leading Pedestrian Intervals on traffic light signals. 

Using community feedback and analyzing serious traffic accident data to identify the most dangerous roads and intersections in Alexandria, other Vision Zero projects have been completed, but many more are in the works. Examples of infrastructure changes and updates to improve road safety include speed cameras in school zones, narrowed roads, lower speed limits, and vehicle lanes converted to bike lanes.

Leading up to zero traffic fatalities in Alexandria in 2023, the previous four years had a consistently low number of deaths. There were four traffic deaths each year from 2019 to 2022. Serious injury crashes fluctuated, from a high of 25 in 2019 to a low of 11 in 2022. So far this year, there’s been one death and nine serious injuries.

Why Vision Zero Failed in DC

If Alexandria can see so much positive change in traffic patterns, why the discouraging results in Washington, D.C.? A short drive across the border and the number of fatal traffic accidents skyrockets. There were 52 deaths in 2023 in D.C., an enormous leap from 35 in 2022. D.C. failed its goal to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024, but the numerous people involved in Vision Zero remain hopeful.

As part of Vision Zero, they lowered speed limits and added bicycle lanes and speed cameras in areas known for frequent serious crashes. Like Alexandria, they’ve also implemented Leading Pedestrian Intervals in traffic lights. But statistics show that these changes aren’t having the effect District of Columbia Mayor Bowser had pledged to achieve.

Sadly, resistance from officials has been linked to the failure to meet the goals of Vision Zero in DC by 2024. Changes must go through an approval process, and pushback has delayed or outright nixed projects, especially those that slow down traffic. A lack of support and difficulty changing the necessary laws to implement safer road designs have caused failures in other cities that adopted Vision Zero too.  

The fact is, making changes to infrastructure, designing safer roads, leveraging technology, educating the community, funding projects, and gaining the support of key stakeholders takes time, and seeing big changes in traffic patterns doesn’t happen overnight.

If you’ve been injured or a loved one died in a Virginia or DC traffic accident, the Curcio Law team of Virginia and D.C. personal injury attorneys can help. Contact us online or call or text 1-703-836-3366 for a free consultation.