Notes from Vision Zero Cities 2024

A demonstration of what’s possible

Marybeth McGinnis

At Transportation Alternatives’ Vision Zero Cities Conference, the attendees were a mix of practitioners, city staff, and advocates. All were focused on “Vision Zero,” a policy to create a transportation system with zero traffic deaths or serious injuries. Conference sessions discussed a range of strategies for achieving Vision Zero. 

Walking around New York is inspiring, due to the sheer numbers of cyclists and pedestrians out in the city. It’s easy to believe in New York exceptionalism: how can lessons from a city as big as New York apply to Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Wausau, Ashland, or anywhere else in Wisconsin? That’s why I’m glad I joined the field tour to explore Jersey City. As a smaller city with growing pains and opportunities, Jersey City offers insight into building trails, bike lanes, pedestrian infrastructure, and more. 

A favorite part of the tour was seeing the secure bike parking available at several locations. These included products such as the Oonee Pod, which allows users to register with the city to be able to securely store their bike away from the elements and potential thieves. Another bike parking solution had a metal “arm” that was unlockable with an app, reducing the need to carry a lock while offering a space to charge electric bikes. Both are free to users and the city, as they are funded by ad revenue. I’ve had bikes stolen in both Madison and Milwaukee; secure bike parking would be a game-changer. 

I also biked across parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan throughout the trip. In the years since I’ve started visiting New York, its bike infrastructure has generally improved, but there’s much to be desired. In many ways, the challenges of biking in New York felt inverse to those in Milwaukee. Bike lanes in New York were often blocked by parked cars, and the bike lanes are chaotic, with drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and other people biking all jockey to get past red lights and claim their space. Yet all of this chaos does slow traffic, meaning that crashes that could occur might be less deadly. In Milwaukee, our city is building bike infrastructure as fast as it can. Bike lanes are a tool to curb drivers’ reckless speeds and dangerous maneuvers, as well as a place to bike safely. And slowly, as the network expands, I see more people in our bike lanes, especially women, older riders, and cargo bike riders. 

Some other takeaways from the Vision Zero conference: 

• A panel on Intelligent Speed Assist discussed how New York City’s fleet is integrating the technology into trucks and cars of all types. In the Safe Systems approach, vehicles are often less a focus than areas like people or roadways. To make vehicles safer, we must regulate them in new ways, including speed governors (which have been around for 100 years!). Technology like ISA is simple and being adopted by Europe; there is also the possibility of installing ISA in select vehicles, such as those owned by drivers with past speeding tickets. 
• Flooding resilience and biking infrastructure go together like peanut butter and jelly. When building safer streets, towns can incorporate native plantings that act as stormwater infrastructure. Because of utility placement, this isn’t always easy. One solution Jersey City found was to incorporate astroturf into its reimagined public square, so that the green infrastructure was extended into a “green” space for kids to play. 
• Too often, community engagement is a mere box to check. In one session about reconnecting communities through highway caps and removal, speakers discussed the challenges with ensuring that cities receiving these grants engaged with the actual needs and interests of the community. 

Bringing home inspiration for Milwaukee and Wisconsin

Shawn Moore

Attending the Vision Zero Conference was nothing short of transformative. I was inspired by being surrounded by so many people dedicated to the same goal: creating safer streets for everyone and saving lives. As I reflect on the conference, I’m motivated even more by the stories of progress from cities across our country. The conference not only expanded my understanding of transportation safety but also fueled my determination to bring meaningful change to Milwaukee.

The conference opened with a powerful session marking ten years of Vision Zero. Leaders from cities like New York, San Francisco, and Austin shared their challenges (many similar to what we face at home, like the decline in manual traffic enforcement), as well as their successes, specifically with automated speed enforcement. San Francisco has achieved a 70% reduction in speeding and significant drops in injuries through their team-oriented strategy for implementing speed cameras. Their policy is not just about technology on the streets or ‘Big brother’; Instead, they have built strong partnerships between agencies and gained the trust of the community. Another session highlighted the importance of relationships, with a suggestion of holding informal monthly check-ins with engineers and project managers to strengthen relationships across departments. These kinds of relationships make tough decisions easier and goals more achievable. It was a clear message: progress only happens when we bring all parties to the table. 

The most emotional moment of the conference came during a session on alternative models for traffic safety. LaTanya Byrd shared her story of losing her sister and nephews on Roosevelt Boulevard, at the time one of Philadelphia’s deadliest roads. Her words were another stark reminder of the lives lost that could’ve been avoided. Listening to her speak about her family’s resilience and determination to advocate for proactive changes like red light cameras was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Her story wasn’t just about loss; it was a call to action to prioritize human lives over convenience. 

I joined a ferry-and-bike tour of the East River’s waterfront design, which was another highlight of the conference. New York has incorporated environmental sustainability in its infrastructure, such as Silva cells, which support tree growth while managing stormwater and eliminate the destruction of its sidewalks by tree roots, and floodable lawns built from materials recycled from the river’s waterfront area. These simple yet creative solutions showed how we can create public spaces that are functional, sustainable, and serve everyone.

As I headed home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how the conference would impact my work. The conference reinforced what I’ve always believed: with collaboration and persistence Vision Zero is achievable. I’m more committed than ever to making Milwaukee’s streets safer. The stories I heard, the people I met, and the ideas I encountered have given me additional tools and a renewed motivation to take the next steps. Now, it’s time to turn those lessons into action and ensure that our community’s voices and not their deaths guide the decisions Milwaukee makes in the future and achieve the goal of Vision Zero.