On August 28, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla signed an executive order officially launching the Vision Zero safety campaign in the area. Vision Zero is a safety project with the objective of achieving zero fatalities or serious injures involving on-road traffic. This project is set to be completed in 2030 in the Hoboken area.
Citizens and reporters gathered around the Mayor’s Office to hear Bhalla speak about the launch of Vision Zero. “As our population grows, so do traffic-related injuries,” said Bhalla.
Over the previous five years in Hoboken, 376 people were injured and 3 civilians were killed due to crashes. 83% of pedestrians involved in a crash were injured and 76% of bicyclists involved in a crash were injured as well.
“This is one of the most ambitious goals in the country,” Bhalla said. “[It] creates a Vision Zero task force that will develop an action plan. This plan to be developed over the next year will outline concrete steps that will allow Hoboken to achieve our goal. And will include new ways for people to identify traffic safety concerns on their block.”
When straightforwardly asked about how Vision Zero will directly impact the Stevens community, the Mayor was quick to ensure that “[Stevens] is an integral and valuable part of the city of Hoboken and our community.” He further continued, “We encourage Stevens students and faculty to become involved in our Vision Zero initiative.” Many students from Stevens use the roads as pedestrians, so students have as much skin in the game as anyone else, and Bhalla welcomes any Stevens students who would like to apply to become a part of the Vision Zero task force or to serve as a Stevens ambassador as a part of the ambassador program. “That way we can identify particular issues or challenges that are particular to Stevens itself; whether that be on campus issues or intersections. The Stevens campus can ultimately be considered in the Vision Zero plan. We want to improve conditions, so let us know of any,” Bhalla reassured.
When asked about why he choose to implement this specific order to execute over others, the Mayor corrected the question, saying, “I have actually signed four executive orders. The first one was declaring Hoboken as a fair welcoming city, another was an executive order implementing a climate action plan. This specific executive order just reflects major priority of the administration.”
The task force developed through the Vision Zero safety project will continue to develop an action plan and outline strategies over the next year to get Hoboken steps closer to making the streets safer for everyone. Currently, the task force includes a variety of departments from City Hall, school administration, advocates for safe streets, and many more. Jersey City has also become a partner with Hoboken’s Vision Zero Program. They too launched their own Vision Zero Program just last year.
“We want to leave our city in a better place for our children, and future generations,” Bhalla wisely adds. The time for change in the safety of Hoboken’s streets has been brewing for awhile, but that time has finally come.
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