In May 2012 the Chicago Department of Transportation released its “Chicago Forward” agenda, including the stated goal of eliminating all traffic deaths by 2022. That target was inspired by the international Vision Zero movement, which began in Sweden in 1997. It’s based on the notion that road fatalities and serious injuries aren’t simply unavoidable “accidents” but rather outcomes that can be prevented through engineering, education, and enforcement.
But it seems likely the devil will be in the details when it comes to ensuring Chicago’s safety program is a net positive for all residents, particularly those in low- to moderate-income communities of color.
Transportation equity consultant Naomi Doerner echoed some of those concerns in a recent interview with Streetsblog USA. “If we’re going to be giving more investment to police enforcement, it has to be communities telling police how and where and what,” said the former head of the New Orleans advocacy group Bike Easy. “This particular Vision Zero analysis had not been done by the advocacy community. I think that a lot of that really does have to do with the fact that a lot of the organized bike and walk community are not comprised of people of color.”
Police spokesman Frank Giancamilli also says that our city’s Vision Zero initiative will be community driven. “The plan builds upon the work officers are doing every day to improve traffic safety through sensible traffic enforcement,” he says. “We are committed to fostering strong partnerships with residents and other key stakeholders to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.”
Accordingly, in addition to CDOT and the CPD, agencies participating in Chicago’s Vision Zero plan include the CTA, Public Health, Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Innovation and Technology, and other city departments.
Alex Wilson, who runs the Humboldt Park-based cycling education center West Town Bikes, said last week that Chicago’s target of zero traffic fatalities by 2026 is “a fantastic goal.” But he added that the city will need to be sensitive to the fact that many people in communities like Humboldt view gun violence as a much more urgent problem than traffic safety. “Just last weekend,” he noted, “someone was killed in a gang-related shooting at Division and Maplewood [a block west of the center].”
