Vision Zero
We advocate so that no one dies or suffers serious injuries just trying to get around Denver. Traffic deaths are preventable and unacceptable.
Read our blog post, How Denver can meet the moment with Vision Zero and view pictures from our 2023 World Day of Remembrance vigil and ceremony.
Our Vision Zero Core Principles
Zero Deaths and Serious Injuries is the Right Goal.
Life is Most Important.
Every Person Matters.
The Government is Responsible for Safe Street Design.
People Make Mistakes.
Safe Designs Lead to Safe Behaviors.
Enforcement Cannot Correct for Dangerous Street Design.
Traditional officer-initiated enforcement should be a last resort, not the primary tactic. Over-reliance of enforcement can exacerbate racial and social injustices and erode mutual feelings of trust and safety between our police officers and the communities they serve.
In November 2021 we co-hosted a panel on Decriminalizing Multimodal Transportation that discussed this theme at length. Tune in by visiting our blog.
The Most Dangerous Locations and Behaviors Merit the Most Attention.
People Driving Have a Critical Responsibility.
Safe Streets Enhance Our Freedom.
Vision Zero Wins
- January 2023: Denver City Council votes to decriminalize jaywalking, acknowledging the reality that “jaywalking” is what people often have to do to navigate car-centric communities and that the criminalization of jaywalking has led to racist and discriminatory enforcement. Learn more about the Freedom to Walk and Roll: Denverite, Westword, Denver Post
- December 2021: Denver City Council passes an ordinance reducing neighborhood speed limits from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour. The likelihood of serious injury or a fatality in a traffic crash increases the faster a vehicle is moving, and lowering the speed limits on neighborhood streets helps keep everyone safe. Learn more about 20 is Plenty.
Cole’s story
On July 13, 2016 Cole Sukle and his two best buddies were enjoying a sunny summer day, riding skateboards through their neighborhood, when they stopped to cross Yale Blvd on their way to the middle school basketball court nearby. Standing safely within the bike lane, one of the boys looked to his left, barely processing the speeding car already upon them and too late to do anything more than jump back. He watched helplessly as the speeding drunk driver hit his two friends and drove away. Miraculously, two of the boys escaped harm’s way, but Cole was rushed to Denver Health where he died the next day.
When the City of Denver asked Cole’s family if they’d be willing to share his story as part of the announcement of a new plan to eliminate traffic fatalities in Denver, they were honored to oblige. Like most people, the Sukles didn’t know much about what made streets safe or unsafe. They taught their kids to look both ways, stay on the sidewalk and always use the crosswalk. But the Vision Zero action plan that Cole’s story helped announce opened their eyes to the ways cities can design streets and neighborhoods to be safe for people walking and biking, or cater to cars, leaving streets deadly and dangerous.
Cole’s story is just one of hundreds that inspires the Denver Streets Partnership to constantly hold the City accountable to its commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by the year 2030.
Vision Zero Projects
Community Art Projects
Twenty is Plenty
The evidence is clear: Speed kills.
Even small increases in vehicle speed can have fatal results. We’re calling on city leaders to reduce the default speed limit for Denver’s neighborhood streets from 25 mph to 20 mph
Vision Zero Community Program
In partnership with Denver Department of Public Health & Environment and Denver Public Works, this initiative is giving teams of community members an opportunity to design a project to increase awareness of Vision Zero and promote safer streets in their neighborhoods.
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Denver Streets Partnership statement as Denver matches grim milestone for traffic fatalities
By November 4, 2021, a record 71 people died as a result of traffic crashes that year. Read our response to this grim milestone and our demands of government leaders at all levels to prevent such carnage to truly reach Vision Zero.
2020 Vision Zero Action Plan Progress Report Card
View the third annual report card on the City and County of Denver’s progress to meet their own Vision Zero Action Plan aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The Report Card focuses specifically on Denver’s progress meeting their goals on street safety improvements with an overall grade and individual grades in eight categories.
2019 Vision Zero Action Plan Progress Report Card
View the second annual report card on the City and County of Denver’s progress to meet their own Vision Zero Action Plan aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The Report Card focuses specifically on Denver’s progress meeting their goals on street safety improvements with an overall grade and individual grades in eight categories.
Press Release: Denver Streets Partnership grades Denver’s 2019 Vision Zero Efforts a C+
70 people killed on Denver streets, critical shortfalls in sidewalks, bike lanes, intersection improvements not enough to significantly improve 2018 score.
2018 Vision Zero Action Plan Progress Report Card
Denver showed progress but failed to meet many of their own 2018 goals for street safety improvements outlined in the Vision Zero Action Plan, missing opportunities to make improvements along the High-Injury Network and building less than half of the 14 miles of sidewalks goal. Denver’s bright spot was strong progress building out the bike network.
Related Resources
Agenda for the new Mayor and City Council’s first 100 days in office
The Denver Streets Partnership has released an agenda for Mayor-Elect Johnson and the Denver City Council’s first 100 days in office. The full agenda includes five high-priority actions that can be taken quickly to help address traffic safety, access, and the transportation sector’s impact on climate change and air pollution: Appoint a capable and visionary Director […]
Agenda for the new Mayor and City Council’s first 100 days in office
The Denver Streets Partnership has released an agenda for Mayor-Elect Johnson and the Denver City Council’s first 100 days in office. The full agenda includes five high-priority actions that can be taken quickly to help address traffic safety, access, and the transportation sector’s impact on climate change and air pollution: Appoint a capable and […]
Denver residents seek renewed focus on ending traffic deaths: ‘Lives are at stake’
Since Mayor Michael Hancock committed to eliminating traffic deaths seven years ago, Denver’s roads have only gotten deadlier. As Mayor-elect Mike Johnston prepares to take the city’s reins, Denverites are asking for change.
Michael Hancock gave Denver a bold ‘Vision Zero’ goal of eliminating traffic deaths. Here’s why it failed
In the six full years since the city committed to Vision Zero, more than 400 people have died in traffic, and there’ve been more than 2,000 crashes causing serious injuries.
Mother of cyclist killed in collision wants Denver to do more to make streets safer
Wednesday the City recommitted to Vision Zero but Thursday critics and Cindy Stepp gathered on the corner where Ainslie was killed to say it isn’t enough.
Her daughter was killed on her bike in Denver. She’s still riding and pushing leaders to make streets safer
Advocates for street safety, including Stepp, spoke at the site of Ainslie O’Neil’s death Thursday to pressure Denver’s current and future city leaders to do more.
Denver Streets Partnership urges city to prioritize funding for updated Vision Zero plan
As traffic fatalities in Denver continue to be a growing issue, the city announced Wednesday that it is recommitting to its 2017 Vision Zero plan that aims to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030.
Denver’s Vision Zero pledge is failing. The city’s reset calls for slower speeds to stop deaths
Mayor Michael Hancock is recommitting to its “Vision Zero” program that reframes serious and fatal crashes as systemic problems that need infrastructure or engineering fixes. His administration on Wednesday released an updated plan that he hopes will get the city back on track.
Federal Boulevard site of multiple hit-and-run crashes
Federal Boulevard has seen multiple hit-and-run crashes in recent days. A reward is being offered. On Feb. 22, a pedestrian was hit crossing South Federal Boulevard at West Dartmouth Avenue. The injuries are considered serious. Denver Police say the driver left the scene.
Denver’s getting money to study nine dangerous roadways as it tries to achieve Vision Zero’s goals
Denver and Vision Zero, the city’s initiative to completely eradicate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030, is receiving some funding to help further the mission.
Wins & Wrecks for Vision Zero
We’re kicking off the year sharing a round-up of what we consider Wins & Wrecks for the U.S. Vision Zero movement. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather a cross-section of bright spots – some that are already yielding positive results and some that we’re optimistically projecting will do so – and some disappointments, or shall we say, opportunities to do better.