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1/ Houston has released a Vision Zero plan with powerful words from the Mayor. That said, mayors only control a portion of their transportation & safety destiny. The biggest investment decisions are made by state DOTs.
So let's talk safety and VZ.
So let's talk safety and VZ.
2/ When evaluating VZ plans, it's important to correctly identify the source of roadway fatalities: cars and speed. Saving lives means reducing vehicle use and speed. Everything else if verbiage.
3/ Thus, at the top of the planning hierarchy must be designing a system that requires less driving and reduces speed (such a system is also more equitable & sustainable). In other words, safety cannot be bolted on as an after-market fix.
4/ Mostly the region's system was created by TXDOT. And the state shows no sign of changing. To pick just one example, TXDOT plans to spend at least $7 BILLION on I-45 expansion projects. This is just one of 180+ pages of the Houston 2045 LRTP project list.
5/ What does this have to do with Vision Zero? Projects like I-45 have practical & political effects.
First, highway expansions create vehicle demand that lands on Houston's streets. Second, they create political pressure that undermines safety design changes. How?
First, highway expansions create vehicle demand that lands on Houston's streets. Second, they create political pressure that undermines safety design changes. How?
6/ Drivers aren't a neutral presence. Drivers expect a certain level of service — accommodations in the built environment — that prioritize their rapid movement and ease of storage. Yet, more speed and space for cars is fundamentally at odds with Vision Zero.
7/ Take a look at these two photos and try and figure out where the people not in cars are supposed to go.
8/ The City of Houston plays a role in auto dependence as well. For instance, it produces something called the Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan (MTFP).
As these policy statements show, the MTFP is mostly about facilitating more auto mobility.
As these policy statements show, the MTFP is mostly about facilitating more auto mobility.
9/ Houston's Public Works division mostly builds the thoroughfare projects with property, sales, and utility/drainage fees (i.e., not user fees) and sometimes competitive state/fed grants. Again, these projects are predominantly about auto mobility.
10/ Houston has some incredible transit/slow streets/ped corridors. But safety and walkability isn't something that just needs to happen downtown. Look at the regional map of major injuries and fatalities. It needs to be everywhere (and I don't mean rail everywhere).
12/ The Mayor's powerful words are true: No loss of life is acceptable. And when you're in a hole, the first step is to stop digging. TXDOT (and Houston) need to stop digging.
13/ For more on the incompatibility of certain investments with safety and non-auto use, see my recent paper that profiles Austin, TX. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2019/11/13/477004/transportation-strategy-doesnt-work/
