City of Hoboken reaches new Vision Zero milestone: seven consecutive years without a traffic death

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced that the City has reached a significant milestone in its commitment to road safety, marking seven consecutive years without a traffic-related death. Through the systematic implementation of Vision Zero safety improvements, Hoboken has become one of the few urban cities in the United States to achieve this feat.  

Additionally, the city has continued to see a decline in traffic-related injuries. From 2022 to 2023, there was an 18 percent reduction in injury crashes, and a 62 percent reduction in serious injuries.

“We have now marked seven years since our last traffic death in Hoboken, making us one of the only U.S. cities to reach this milestone,” said Mayor Bhalla. “While deliberate action on everything from restriping high visibility crosswalks to implementing comprehensive road redesigns has aided our success we aren't stopping - we will continue to aggressively implement Vision Zero in every aspect of our major infrastructure projects.”

Over the last year, the City has made significant Vision Zero infrastructure upgrades to better protect road users, including vulnerable populations like children and seniors.  

These upgrades include:

• Multi-way stops added to 14 intersections, including 6 identified as high crash intersections in the Vision Zero Action Plan
• 418 delineators installed to improve intersection visibility through daylighting at 31 percent of intersections citywide, including 65 intersections adjacent to a park, school, public housing, or senior building
• 61 crosswalks restriped with high visibility, long lasting markings
• 27 curb ramps upgraded to improve ADA accessibility
• 1 raised crosswalk installed to improve pedestrian visibility and slow vehicle speeds along Fifth Street at Stevens Park
• 15 MPH school zone speed limit designation added to 67 blocks in school zones to encourage slower vehicle speeds around K-12 schools
• 6 curb extensions installed to reduce crossing distances, improve intersection visibility, and slow vehicle turning speeds
• 3 curb extensions with green infrastructure installed around ResilienCity Park
• 15 blocks or approximately 0.87 miles of roadway resurfaced by the City of Hoboken and Hudson County  

The Hoboken City Council adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan in 2021, following Mayor Bhalla’s 2019 executive order designating Hoboken as a Vision Zero city to create safer streets. The Plan establishes the City’s goal to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and injuries by 2030 and includes key action items through a safe-systems approach to achieve this goal.  

Hoboken will continue to iterate and expand on existing safety measures and implement additional upgrades to ensure the safety of all vulnerable road users.

This year, through a partnership with the County, the City will launch a public planning process for comprehensive Vision Zero upgrades to Willow Avenue from 11th Street to 16th Street which is part of the City’s high-crash network.

According to the crash analysis in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, 10 street segments, including Willow Avenue from 14th Street to the Hoboken/Weehawken border, accounted for 40 percent of all injuries and deaths from 2014 through 2018.  

Additionally, this year the City will begin construction of the Sinatra Drive Redesign Project, which will improve access and safety along the waterfront boulevard utilizing green infrastructure and targeted safety upgrades. The redesign will include a 12-foot wide, two-way protected bike lane, 14 high visibility crosswalks, five raised crosswalks, 13 rectangular rapid flashing beacons, seven curb extensions, and widened sidewalks, among additional upgrades.

For more information on the City’s Vision Zero initiative, go to https://www.vzhoboken.com/.