Report includes analysis of traffic crashes including multi-year trends and announces the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan 2025-2030

PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) today announced the release of the 2024 Vision Zero Annual Report. This report is part of the commitment by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s executive order in March to eliminate all traffic deaths on City of Philadelphia streets.

“Every Philadelphian deserves to be able to travel safely throughout our city and return home safe and unharmed,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “It doesn’t matter where you live or work, your age, race or ethnicity, ability, income, or how you choose to travel. You deserve to be safe traveling on our streets.”

The 2024 Annual Report highlights that preliminary fatal crash data for the current year is lower than 2023, but still above pre-2020 levels. As of October, there were 84 fatal crashes in 2024, as compared to 100 at the same time in 2023. However, the trend continues that since 2020, severe crashes are more likely to result in death – with 29 percent of severe crashes resulting in death in 2023, as compared to 17 percent of crashes in 2019.

The post-2020 increase in traffic deaths has most impacted vulnerable road users. As compared to the 2015-2019 average, deaths among people in a vehicle increased by 29 percent, while deaths among people walking and rolling increased by 65 percent. 

Traffic safety is an equity issue. Analysis from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health shows that zip codes with high rates of poverty see the highest rates of traffic crash hospitalizations. From 2019 to 2023, the rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 residents from traffic crashes was highest for Black Philadelphians. This disparity was particularly pronounced for pedestrians and people in motor vehicles. 

The City and its partners are committed to addressing these disparities by taking into account the specific needs of underserved communities. Some related projects include:

  • In December 2023, the City was awarded $16.4 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to fund the Complete & Safe Streets Philadelphia: Vision Zero High Injury Network Corridors project. This funding will support traffic safety improvements on Hunting Park Avenue from Wissahickon Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard – a key transit route and part of the high-quality bike network. This location is a priority corridor in the current Vision Zero Capital Plan.  
  • PennDOT is installing new pedestrian median island along Broad Street from Allegheny Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard. Medians or pedestrian refuge islands can help improve safety by allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time.  

 ”Every life lost to traffic violence is tragic and the only acceptable number of traffic deaths is zero,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director, Transportation and Infrastructure. “The number of severe crashes resulting in fatalities has risen. But behind these statistics are real people – our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Every increase in crashes reflects the pain felt by families and communities.”

To combat this unacceptable loss of life, the City has been implementing proven safety countermeasures. Projects include:

  • At the formerly complex intersection of Penrose Avenue, South 20th Street, Packer Avenue, and West Moyamensing Avenue, the new Penrose roundabout project simplifies travel and improves safety for all road users. 

As required in the executive order, the Vision Zero Task Force will release the new Vision Zero Action Plan and Capital Plan by October 31, 2025. The Action Plan and Capital Plan will guide planning, programming, and funding from 2025 through 2030. In the next year, the action items in the Action Plan, and the capital projects that direct significant infrastructure investments, will be developed in tandem.

To develop these plans, the City needs input from all Philadelphians about their traffic safety concerns and their goals for the safe future of Philadelphia. Please use the link below or visit visionzerophl.com to fill out the interest form and get involved.

Click here to help us create the Vision Zero Action Plan 2025-2030 

 The Action Plan and the Capital Plan are critical documents that lead to citywide safety improvements like the Neighborhood Slow Zone Program and corridor improvements like the Market Street Old City Improvement Project. 

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