Just changing the speed limit isn't an effective way to make roads more pedestrian safe when today's average commuter vehicles are so much faster than cars were 20-50 years ago when a lot of the road infrastructure design we're now used to driving on was implemented. I'm all for reshaping urban roads to encourage walking and biking over car use...but slapping a sign, or especially in cities where the roads are often obscured by snow for large swaths of time - painted parts of the road doesn't affect driver behavior the way that advocates hope for.
Let's not forget the revenue opportunity (traffic tickets that punish car owners, not drivers, with zero on street presence or enforcement), and the politics/emotional vote pandering involved.
So far, toronto's vision zero program has cost approximately $265Million in taxpayer funds, not including the additional environmental/carbon producing pollution and productivity loss associated with the additional traffic and congestion. This year, 20 pedestrians have died on the roads as a result of traffic accidents (of a city of 2.93Million people), 20 fewer than last year (40 last year). Now, correlation does not necessarily mean causality (e.g. pandemic traffic is lower, people's commuting habits are different, etc.); but let's say, for sake of argument, that each of those 20 fewer deaths is attributable to vision zero. Great success.
That means each death averted, not including opportunity cost (productivity, time in traffic, additional start/stop and idling related greenhouse gas producing emissions, etc.) cost $13,250,000.
Of course, this is an oversimplification, and at the same time, much of this is driven by emotional rhetoric. The economics just don't add up... what is the actual cost here.
Here's what the hyperbole police are saying:
"Road safety is the number one public and economic concern of our time. As a former law enforcement officer with the Toronto Police Service, tasked with protecting our street’s most vulnerable - I have seen the deadly toll that road violence plays first-hand. I have seen direct collisions, and unfortunately, the carnage that leads to loss of life or limb. I have made it a career to combat road violence by advocating for ways to lessen the tensions with each other while we wait on infrastructure. That is why, I am so excited to have been part of TruceTO - a project aimed at reducing tensions, promoting civility, kindness and patience on our roads. This initiative is an amazing step forward in recognizing personal responsibility in shared public spaces, while we wait for hard physical measures to eliminate conflict by design."
- Kyle Ashley, Street Safety Advocate
Apparently, road safety beats out global war, the climate, the stock market, deforestation, depletion of natural resources, loss of viable farm land, housing, etc. as the MOST troubling public and economic concern. Also, these events are no longer accidents or carelessness, they're violence!
"Improving our road safety in Toronto is urgent and important for the health, safety and well-being of all our residents and communities. We are seeing a devastating rise in road violence across the City. I have been proud to champion the fast-tracking Vision Zero, the City's plan to prevent pedestrian deaths and improve road safety. We need decisive, meaningful and immediate action to protect vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and children, along with the creation of more inclusive and accessible sidewalks and roadways for all road users. Thank you to TruceTO for all your advocacy work in promoting safe streets and healthy communities."
- Kristyn Wong-Tam, Ward 27 Councillor
Apparently EVERY single resident benefits from this program. Also, let's not forget the fact that this is VIOLENCE, as if vulnerable road users are targeted.
Oh and note that children aren't pedestrians, they're children! Will someone think of the children!
