Is Vision Zero a success for New York City?

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This week marks the 10th anniversary of New York City’s Vision Zero program. The initiative aims to eliminate traffic deaths through better road design for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as an aggressive crackdown on reckless drivers.

Sweden was first to launch a version of the program in the late 1990s. Following New York’s lead, cities across the U.S. have embraced the push for street safety.

Now, with a decade of experience, New Yorkers are reflecting on the effectiveness of the policy. This week, Gothamist and WNYC looked back at Vision Zero and concluded the program was indisputably a success — at least in areas where it won the support of elected officials.

Here’s former Mayor Bill de Blasio explaining his thinking on Vision Zero during a recent interview with “Morning Edition” host Michael Hill.

“The more I understood it, the more I said, you know, if we’re going to fight murder, if we’re going to devote massive resources to protecting people from being shot and killed, why are we not making a similar effort to protect people?” de Blasio said.

The city Department of Transportation is quick to note the number of people killed in car crashes has reached historic lows since Vision Zero launched in 2014. The agency shared data all the way back to 1910, which shows the city’s eight best years for street safety have all come in the past decade.

That’s marked progress from the 1990s, when the city recorded no fewer than 368 traffic deaths every year. And it’s a dramatic drop from the late 1920s and early 1930s, when motorists killed more than 1,000 people a year. 

But at the same time, street safety advocates have plenty of reasons to demand the city recommit itself to Vision Zero.

The city has seen increases in yearly traffic deaths since recording…