Safe Streets Advocates Stage Die-In to Protest Garcetti and City Council Lack of Vision Zero Progress

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Vision Zero is an international effort to end all traffic deaths. The city of Los Angeles has a Vision Zero initiative, which debuted as an Eric Garcetti mayoral directive in 2015 and was later that year adopted as an official city policy in the city’s Mobility Plan. Vision Zero was to be a multi-departmental initiative, led by the department of Transportation (LADOT) in collaboration with the LAPD, Cultural Affairs, Public Works, and others. Initial city Vision Zero efforts were spotty, poorly funded, and blocked by several pro-car councilmembers, including Gil Cedillo, Paul Koretz, Paul Krekorian, Mitch O’Farrell, Curren Price, and David Ryu. After Playa Del Rey safety improvements sparked a driver backlash in 2017, the city further watered down its already-weak efforts, shelving numerous planned life-saving improvements. As traffic deaths rise, the program survives in name, but as a hollow shell robbed of its early promise.