Today marks Vision Zero’s greatest achievement to date: New York City’s default speed limit has officially been lowered to 25 mph. This seemingly small adjustment will have a big impact on improving street safety, as people who are struck by vehicles traveling 25 mph are half as likely to die as those struck by vehicles traveling 30 mph. In a city that’s suffered increasing bicycle and pedestrian fatalities — more often than not in seemingly “safe” scenarios — this speed limit reduction is a welcome first step.

But lowering the speed limit isn’t a panacea. In addition to getting the word out about the new speed limit, New York’s elected officials, community leaders and state and city agencies must now do their part to help change how people think about and interact with our streets and its users. Such an enormous paradigm shift won’t be easy, but it can be done.

The City must lead by example

According to a report released  last month by Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office, a total of 1,213 pedestrian injury claims were filed against the City from FY 2007 to FY 2014, 22 of which were related to pedestrian fatalities. These claims cost New York City taxpayers almost $90 million dollars in settlements and judgments over the same period. Though the number of injuries caused by the City’s 28,000 vehicles and 85,000-plus drivers is small compared to the total number of pedestrian injuries and deaths in New York City each year, these crashes come at a tremendous — and unnecessary — cost. Imagine if that $90 million could have been invested in preventing — instead of making amends for — pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

The streets renaissance must continue

Although New York City’s streets do a better job of accommodating an increasing numbers of cyclists and pedestrians today than they did a decade ago, agencies and advocates still face some proverbial bumps in the road. In Queens, Astoria’s Community Board 1 recently voted down three important street safety proposals: concrete barriers to protect cyclists, a dedicated bus lane on Astoria Boulevard and a bike corral in front of a restaurant. And in Manhattan, condo residents in Kips Bay are suing to prevent the installation of a much-needed cycle track, which would connect the East Side Greenway to the bike lane on First Avenue. And in Brooklyn, Williamsburg’s CB 1 created a stir by taking a vehement anti-bike/pro-car stance earlier this year, while the City Department of Transportation pulled plans for a Neighborhood Slow Zone after push back from the local community board, despite Borough President Eric Adams’ support for the plan.

It shouldn’t take a fatality to inspire action. Safety-oriented thinking needs to replace car-centric planning as Vision Zero moves forward.

Enforcement and education are essential

Perhaps the most difficult part of achieving zero traffic fatalities is changing behavior. In order to do this, the New York City Police Department, the City Department of Transportation, the State Department of Motor Vehicles and the District Attorney’s Office are responsible for ensuring that traffic safety laws are enforced and that the public is educated about those laws. Without a commitment to safer streets from every single one of these agencies, Vision Zero’s message is, sadly, lost in translation.