Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has doubled down on the ambitious Vision Zero mission to reduce Philadelphia's traffic-related deaths to naught, signing an executive order right before the city's annual conference on the program. "Every Philadelphian deserves to be able to navigate the city...and get home safely," Parker stated in her decree, a copy of which was provided by the City of Philadelphia press release. The initiative comes in response to the alarming rate of fatalities, with the city recording a grim tally of 120 lives lost in 2023.
The executive order puts the Office of Multimodal Planning on the front lines of updating the city's High Injury Network and helping the Department of Streets check off tasks outlined in the city's 2013 Complete Streets ordinance. In a statement, Deputy Managing Director Michael Carroll told the City of Philadelphia, "We are proud to stand with Mayor Parker as the administration takes a big step toward addressing traffic safety and therefore the general wellbeing of all Philadelphians, regardless of transportation mode."
Moreover, the order commandeers the School District of Philadelphia to step up and educate kids about the dire necessity of traffic safety. With five children getting hit by vehicles weekly on Philadelphia streets, the time for action couldn't be more urgent. This order also aims to target investments towards areas that have historically been denied their fair share, indicative of the broader battle against injustice that rends through our society's very fabric.
The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has opened a veritable floodgate of funds for Philadelphia, boasting an impressive haul of hundreds of millions, including ",$46.4 million from the first two rounds of the Safe Streets for All grant program," as outlined by the City of Philadelphia press release. These financial windfalls are earmarked for initiatives designed to wilt the seeds of traffic calamities – reducing excessive speed, expanding pedestrian zones, and promoting public transport. Esteemed results from existing Complete Streets projects have shown a 20 percent decrease in injury crashes and a staggering 34 percent plunge in fatal and serious crashes.
Mayor Parker reiterated her unwavering pledge to the Vision Zero commitment, affirming, "My administration is 100 percent committed to reversing the trend we’ve seen in fatal crashes and bringing our city down to zero," as per the press release.
