Establishing Vision Zero in New York City: The Story of a Pioneer

Kristianssen, Ann-Catrin · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76505-7_20

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Summary

This paper analyzes the adoption of Vision Zero as New York City’s foundational road safety policy in 2014, examining the political, administrative, and social factors that facilitated this significant policy change. The study is motivated by the need to understand how a specific safety philosophy diffuses from its Swedish origins to a distinct American urban context, particularly when prior safety initiatives had already existed but failed to meet public expectations. The author employs a modified Multiple Streams Framework (MSF), adding a "program stream" to John Kingdon’s traditional problem, policy, and political streams, to analyze the convergence of factors that opened a window of opportunity for change. The research design combines qualitative content analysis of policy documents, action plans, and media reports with 18 semi-structured interviews conducted between 2019 and 2020. The interview respondents included city administration staff, non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, researchers, and media personnel. This mixed-method approach allowed the author to trace the roles of various actors, including NGOs like Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, as well as key public administrators, in framing the problem and promoting the solution. The findings indicate that Vision Zero was adopted due to the alignment of four streams. In the problem stream, while NYC’s fatality rates were lower than many US regions, they were deemed unacceptable compared to other major global cities, a perception heightened by high-profile child fatalities. In the policy stream, Vision Zero was presented as a coherent, scientifically grounded solution. The political stream saw Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan prioritize road safety, creating political will. Crucially, the program stream involved the development of a credible implementation plan that included infrastructure changes and enforcement, which helped legitimize the policy. The study highlights that NGOs played a pivotal role in advocacy and urgency, while city administrators provided the technical groundwork. The significance of this research lies in its detailed mapping of the policy diffusion process and the specific adaptations made in New York City. The paper concludes that NYC’s Vision Zero differs from the Swedish original by placing greater emphasis on law enforcement and individual driver behavior rather than solely on infrastructure design. Furthermore, the study notes emerging criticisms regarding equity, suggesting that without careful data-driven implementation, Vision Zero risks reinforcing discriminatory enforcement practices in marginalized communities. The paper serves as a case study for how complex policy changes occur in large urban environments through the interplay of advocacy, political leadership, and structured implementation programs.

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• traffic safety culture