Philadelphia’s Vision Zero: Progress on highways, setback on Broad Street

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

The city of Philadelphia’s latest Vision Zero report shows both progress and setbacks in the city’s fight against traffic fatalities. The installation of speed enforcement cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard reduced deaths on the busy 16-lane thoroughfare. But, Broad Street has become increasingly dangerous, with the number of fatalities climbing sharply.

Marco Gorini, Vision Zero program manager, attributes the rise in fatalities to speeding and large SUVs, which are deadly in pedestrian collisions.

“In 2023, Philadelphia experienced 123 traffic deaths on our Surface Street Network,” he said. “This can continue the trend that we’ve seen since 2021 and remains substantially higher than the pre-2020 trends.”

The shifts are worse post-pandemic, with the analysis showing a high level of speeding incidents than before.

The report also shows that neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty, including Black and underserved communities, have more traffic deaths and double the number of hospitalizations compared to predominantly white and affluent neighborhoods.

“An analysis by the Department of Public Health shows that residents of zip codes with the highest rates of poverty experience,” he said. “A disproportionate share of traffic crash related hospitalizations. Black Philadelphians experience hospitalizations at a rate, nearly double that of white Philadelphians. So this is why the city is prioritizing these zip codes for investment.”

To improve road safety, the city has secured more than $200 million in grants from local, state and federal agencies to implement safety measures. Among those initiatives will be efforts to redesign high-risk corridors, such as Hunting Park Avenue, Old York Road and Germantown Avenue.

The city will also reintroduce roundabouts, or mini-traffic circles, to slow drivers in high-danger zones. Officials plan to install speed enforcement cameras on Broad Street. Violators will initially get warnings, but ticketing will begin later next year.

The Vision Zero program, established by an executive order of Mayor Jim Kenney, aims to make the streets safer and end traffic deaths in the City of Brotherly Love. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker recommitted to the program in March. Currently, 80% of traffic fatalities and serious injuries occur on 12% of Philadelphia streets. Officials want to reverse the trend and make the city’s streets safer.