What is Vision Zero?

History of Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate roadway fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proved successful across Europe - and now it’s gaining momentum in major American cities. 

The Vision Zero Network was created to build momentum and advance Vision Zero in communities across the U.S. Their approach acknowledges that humans will make mistakes and focuses on reducing, and eventually eliminating, the chances that those mistakes result in loss of life. The City of Tampa was officially admitted as a member of the Vision Zero Network in 2020.

Tampa's Vision Zero Approach

The City of Tampa is committed to achieving a goal of zero traffic deaths and life-altering injuries on our roads. Vision Zero is part of Mayor Castor's Transforming Tampa's Tomorrow (T3) initiative, which called for integrating Vision Zero into all projects. Since then, the City joined the Vision Zero Network, hired a Vision Zero Coordinator, and developed the City’s first-ever Vision Zero Action Plan.

The City’s Vision Zero program is founded on the following practices:

• Prevent loss of life on our roads
• Focus on deadly and life-altering injury crashes, and eliminate inequities 
• Share responsibility through a safe system that prioritizes the most vulnerable users (i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, youth, elderly)
• Anticipate that people will make mistakes; therefore, we must design roadways to be more forgiving
• Encourage cross-collaboration amongst all components of the transportation system
• Implement outcome-driven, strategic investments that are based on data and equity 
• Proactively and systemically address problems before deadly and life-altering injury crashes occur

Learn more about how the City is using a Safe System approach to reach Vision Zero with an emphasis on equity.