April 2025 Newsletter – Vision Zero Philadelphia

Program Updates

2025-2030 Action Plan Development

We need your support (yes, you!) to write a plan that keeps our Vision Zero actions focused on community priorities. The Vision Zero Action Plan 2025-2030 is being updated this year and is set to be completed by October 31, 2025. The Vision Zero team is updating the action items that guide our efforts and set our priorities. Each month this year, we are featuring either a program that advances the goals of the Vision Zero Action Plan or the progress being made on Action Plan development. This month, we are featuring our Safer Vehicles approach to Vision Zero.

We are looking for your feedback on community needs and priorities through surveys and in-person roundtable sessions. Please click below to stay included on Action Plan updates or to express interest in your organization participating in a Vision Zero roundtable session. Your feedback will help us develop new programs that address traffic safety concerns across the city.

Action Plan 2025-2030 Interest Form

Safer Vehicles – Fleet

Safe vehicles are an essential part of a safe transportation system. Safe vehicles can be addressed by expanding the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes for people inside and outside the vehicle. As the owner of large vehicle and bicycle fleets, the City’s leadership in safe vehicles is influential. All City employees are ambassadors for safety when they are behind the wheel of a City vehicle. The City is also an advocate for enhancing vehicle design standards.

The City’s Department of Fleet Services is committed to Vision Zero and has been upgrading their fleet since 2019 to include enhanced safety equipment. Fleet Services remains committed to equipping all new Heavy-Duty Vehicles with Vision Zero Equipment such as crossview mirrors, side guards, and 360-degree camera systems. To date, 368 vehicles have been equipped across 12 departments. Currently, there are 200 heavy-duty vehicles on order with these safety improvements.

Safer Vehicles – Indego

A critical part of the Philadelphia Vision Zero approach is to provide, promote, and expand the use of Safer Vehicles. Building a Safe System increases mode shift by making it easy for people to select alternatives to driving alone, including walking, biking, or taking transit whenever possible.

Indego bike share launched in 2015 as a public-private partnership between the City of Philadelphia, Bicycle Transit Systems, and Independence Blue Cross. The launch was informed by seven years of planning and input from 6,000 Philadelphians. As a national leader in bike share equity and community engagement, Indego has worked alongside the Better Bike Share Partnership to develop groundbreaking strategies that make bike share more accessible for everyone. These efforts haven’t just shaped Philadelphia, they’ve set the standard for cities across the country.

Indego has grown far beyond just a bike share system. It has transformed the way Philadelphians get around and has played a key role in building a healthier, more sustainable city. Let’s celebrate incredible and impact of the past 10 years (beyond the over 500,000 riders):

Indego riders have collectively pedaled the equivalent of 40 round trips to the moon!
Since launching, Indego riders have burned 804 million calories, that’s the equivalent of over 2.3 million Philly cheesesteaks! That’s enough to give every Philadelphian at least one (wiz wit, of course).
Instead of burning fuel, Indego riders have saved the same amount of CO₂ as cutting out over 10 million gallons of gasoline. That’s enough gas to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Traffic? We Don’t Know Her. Over the past decade, Indego riders have swapped out 2 million car trips – that’s like clearing I-76 of cars for an entire week!

To learn more about the Indego 10 Year Anniversary visit: https://www.rideindego.com/happy-10th-bday/. Don’t forget to read our Partner Updates to see how you can get 75% off your first month of the Indego30 or Indego30 Access pass.

North Philadelphia Schools Slow Zones

The North Philadelphia School Slow Zones program aims to support a safer, more livable neighborhood by calming traffic on the streets surrounding Kenderton Elementary School, Mary M. Bethune School, Potter-Thomas School, Pan American Academy Charter School, Julia De Burgos School, and KIPP North Philadelphia Academy.

If you live in or near zip codes 19140/19132/19133, travel in the area of the future slow zones, or have a child who attends these schools, please complete this survey. Please make sure to read the Upcoming Events section of the newsletter to join us at our upcoming slow zone public meetings. More information on the slow zones here:

Grants Update

Philadelphia won over $17 million in state grants, funded by the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program. The grants will go to five projects that support safety on or near Roosevelt Boulevard, where the ticket revenue was collected. Projects include:

$1 million for the concept and preliminary design of traffic safety improvements along parallel routes to Roosevelt Blvd
$5 million to complete design and construction for selected projects in the vicinity of Roosevelt Blvd for a Speed Cushion Program on City-owned streets to reduce speeds.
$7 million for design and construction of the intersection modifications on Olney Ave. between Broad St. and Rising Sun Ave., including bus boarding islands (including curb, sidewalk, and stormwater modifications), street lighting, pavement marking and signing, signal modifications and upgrades to improve transit access in this area.
$3.4 million for intersection improvements at up to four locations near Roosevelt Blvd
$1 million to support expansion of the City of Philadelphia’s Automated Speed Enforcement Program. The City is partnering with Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) to expand the ASE program to other corridors with high levels of speed-related crashes.

We are halfway through Spring Training and already 150+ students and adults have participated in walking and biking school buses. National Bike, Walk, & Roll to School Day is May 7—there’s still time to step up and ride along with Safe Routes Philly!

Upcoming Events

You’ll see us and our partners out in the community at the events listed below.

April 25 – Cione Playground Community Resource Fair, 4 – 6pm (Cione Playground, 2600 E Aramingo Ave)
April 26 – Celebrate Trails Day, 10am – 1pm (Cobbs Creek Park, 1338 S 59^th St)
April 26 – Independence Place Earth Day Event, 10am – 2pm (241 S 6^th St)
April 26 – West Craft Fest, 11am – 5pm (The Woodlands, 4000 Woodlands Ave)
April 28 – Mayoral Budget Town Hall, 6-8pm (Mummers Museum, 1100 S 2^nd St)
April 30 – Wednesday Night Ride x Indego 10^th Birthday Group Ride, 6:30pm (Art Museum Steps, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy)
May 3 – Penn Medicine Nurses Week Community Day, 11am – 3pm (Malcolm X Memorial Park, 5100 Pine St)
May 8 – Mayoral Budget Town Hall, 6-8pm (Lindley Academy Charter School at Birney, 900 Lindley Ave)
May 8 – Pan American / Julia de Burgos North Philadelphia Slow Zone Public Meeting (Julia De Burgos Elementary, 401 W Lehigh Ave)
May 8 – 2025 Click It or Ticket Press Event (Citizens Bank Park)
May 14 – Cobbs Creek Slow Zone Community Meeting, 5:30pm (Mastery Charter School Harrity Elementary, 5601 Christian St)
May 15 – Mayoral Budget Town Hall, 6-8pm (CityReach Church, 6814 Torresdale Ave)

Partner Updates

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Parents and teens can get information on how to drive distraction-free from CHOP experts at Teen Driver Source.

CHOP’s car seat safety videos are now available in Arabic! Get more information here.

Clean Air Council

Celebrate Trails Day on Cobbs Creek Trail! On Saturday, April 26 from 8am to 2pm the Clean Air Council in partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, will be hosting a FREE event at Thomas Ave and Cobbs Creek Parkway, just north of Whitby Ave. The event will include health and education resources, games, art, water ice, and more. Join with friends, family, and neighbors for a day of activities including horseback riding, nature challenge, fishing, mural painting, fruit and vegetable giveaway, bird walk, raffle, and more. Learn more about the event here: https://cleanair.org/event/trailsday2025/.

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC)

DVRPC and its partners are developing a Regional Vision Zero (RVZ) plan to make roadways safer for all users, and want to hear from you. Use this mapping tool to identify a concern. Comments gathered will help inform the RVZ plan by raising awareness of the public’s traffic safety concerns. Comment period will close on May 16, 2025. Please note: information gathered does not guarantee action. For immediate issues, contact your local road owner (city, county, or state) directly.

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DVRPC is hosting an in-person Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant application support workshop in collaboration with the Safe Routes Partnershipat DVRPC’s office on April 30 from 10 am-Noon. For those unable to attend in person, register here for the virtual option on May 8 from 10 am-Noon. FHWA requires collaboration between DVRPC and municipal grant applicants as part of the grant awarding process, so please let us know if you plan to apply (even if you aren’t able to attend the workshop). This year’s deadline is June 26.

Indego

National Bike Month is almost here! Philly cyclists and beyond are gearing up to ride more, spend less, and make a positive impact on the environment. And now, you get early access to our best deal of the year! Starting on our birthday, April 23rd, through May 31st, get 75% off your first month of the Indego30 or Indego30 Access pass with promo code INDEPRO25. That means unlimited 1-hour rides for just $5 starting April 23rd.

Unlimited 1-hour rides on Indego classic bikes
Only $5 for your first month with INDEPRO25
Offer starts April 23rd – don’t miss out!

PennDOT

Please take a moment to tell us about the transportation needs that are important to you. We encourage you to share your opinions, interests and concerns about transportation, particularly the needs in the community where you live. Your feedback is an important part of our 12-Year Transportation Program update process. Your input is also used to inform other state and regional transportation plans and programs such as Pennsylvania’s Long Range Transportation Plan. Please tell us what you think! https://survey.talkpatransportation.com/#/Survey

Vision Zero in the News

Philadelphia

Penrose Roundabout is South Philly’s newest traffic-calming effort (WHYY)

Program places cameras on Philly buses to record motorists who illegally pass (WHYY)

Could Philadelphia’s embrace of the Open Streets program spur more civic innovations to come? | Editorial (Inquirer)

Car-free throngs will descend upon Philly in 2026 — will the city be ready? (grid)

Is my bus route getting cut? A quick guide to what SEPTA’s proposed changes could mean for you (Inquirer)

Mobile speed cameras for Philly school zones advance at Council (Philadelphia Tribune)

Philly drivers who block bus lanes will soon be automatically ticketed, and have to pay a hefty fine (Inquirer)

Castor Avenue project stirs debate in Northeast Philadelphia (metro Philadelphia)

Traffic safety advocates cheer progress, mourn losses (BillyPenn)

MLK Drive Seasonal Weekend Closure for Recreation Returns on March 29 (phila.gov)

Progress Update: 47th Street Repaving & Traffic Safety Project | March 2025 (phila.gov)

Vision Zero Conference PHL 2025 Explores the Costs of Traffic Safety (phila.gov)

Philadelphia extends SEPTA deal to provide free trips for city workers (WHYY )

Indego bike theft posed an ‘existential’ crisis. The solution: Repo men. (Inquirer)

City plans bus-only lane on Roosevelt Boulevard to speed up SEPTA routes (kyw newsradio)

Philadelphia Unveils New Vision Zero Dashboard in Quest to Enhance Road Safety and Reduce Traffic Casualties (hoodline)

2 years later, city says Washington Avenue redo is working (WHYY)

What We’re Reading

Students Tackle Micro Transit in Annual Public Health Case Competition (Drexel University)

Brake pad dust can be more toxic than exhaust emissions, study says (The Guardian)

NACTO President Advocates for City Funding Needs in Front of Senate EPW Committee (NACTO)

Complete Streets Drive Housing, Jobs, and Retail Gains (Planning Magazine)

Vision Zero Jobs

Serve Philadelphia VISTA, City of Philadelphia

Senior Transportation Planner/Senior Transportation Engineer, DVRPC

Public Participation Planner, DVRPC

Join the Conversation

Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries on Philadelphia streets www.visionzerophl.com. Follow OTIS on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and help us share safety messages with your networks using the hashtag #VisionZeroPHL.

Do you have events, accomplishments, or calls to action to share with the Vision Zero Task Force, subcommittees, and community? Send your updates for next month’s newsletter by Friday, May 9 to Virginia Lynn at virginia.lynn@phila.gov.