January 29, 2016 In LA Mayor's Office, News

Vision Zero featured on LA GeoHub Launch

Mayor Eric Garcetti and Esri President Jack Dangermond today unveiled the City of Los Angeles’ new GeoHub — one of the nation’s most complete collections of urban map data. The GeoHub builds on Mayor Garcetti’s third Executive Directive, which created L.A.’s first open data portal. By making more than 500 types of map data available to residents, city workers, and private industry, the GeoHub helps Angelenos better understand their communities, and City departments better coordinate construction, road paving, and public safety efforts.

geohub_1Explore the L.A. GeoHub at http://geohub.lacity.org.

 

The Los Angeles GeoHub was created in collaboration with Esri, the world’s leader in geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Built on Esri’s ArcGIS platform, GeoHub pools map data layers from more than 20 different departments — allowing users to create living maps and build custom applications to solve pressing challenges and optimize city services.

For Vision Zero Los Angeles, we created a featured Story Map, showcased on the GeoHub, that displays some key datasets that inform the Vision Zero approach. We know that, on average, every year more than 200 Angelenos lose their lives while traveling on city streets. The Vision Zero philosophy holds that these deaths are both unacceptable and preventable, and takes a data-driven approach to reducing severe and fatal injuries.  With this Story Map, we demonstrate that people walking and bicycling in Los Angeles are over-represented among traffic deaths. Also, communities with the most need are also areas where there are high density of fatalities and severe injuries among people walking and biking.

 

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Vision Zero App for LA GeoHub displaying data on fatal and severe injuries

 

The L.A. GeoHub is an important pillar in Mayor Garcetti’s broader strategy of using technology and data to delivery transparency, efficiency, and community engagement. For Vision Zero Los Angeles, we look to the GeoHub as an important tool to share and build comprehensive transportation and health databases for goals of Vision Zero- outlined in our Executive Directive #10.

 

January 26, 2016 In LA Mayor's Office, News, Program Development

Los Angeles Recognized as Vision Zero Leader

Today, Los Angeles was selected as one of 10 leading cities to participate in a new national program to advance Vision Zero, the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users. Mayor Eric Garcetti launched the Vision Zero Los Angeles initiative on August 24, 2015 by signing Executive Directive #10, declaring safety to be the number one priority in designing and building our streets and sidewalks.

This new Vision Zero Focus Cities program was launched today by the Vision Zero Network, a national collaborative campaign aimed at advancing this shift towards safety, health, and equitable mobility for all. In addition to Los Angeles, other cities included in this program will be: Austin, TX; Washington, DC; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and San Francisco, CA.

“Los Angeles is proud to join the Vision Zero Focus Cities program,” said Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and President of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). “Our shared goals to stop traffic deaths are ambitious and urgent.  We will get there faster together by learning from one another.”

The 10 cities were chosen based on their positions as – or expectations to become – national leaders in Vision Zero. Additionally, they were required to demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively with their peers to improve upon their traffic safety efforts and serve as models for other cities.

“We recognize Los Angeles’ leadership in being an early-adopter of Vision Zero and dedicating its staff and resources toward prioritizing safety for all who are walking, bicycling and driving,” said Shahum. “We know that Los Angeles is serious in its commitment to reach zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries, and we commend their willingness to partner with peers in other Vision Zero cities to make greater progress not only locally but across the nation in safe streets for all.”

Lead participants in the Focus Cities program will include representatives of each city’s Mayor’s Office, Transportation Department, Police Department, and Public Health Department. In addition, there will be a concurrent track for collaboration among leading Vision Zero community advocates from each of the Focus Cities.

“Los Angeles Walks applauds the Vision Zero Network for launching the Focus Cities Program, and comments the City of Los Angeles for its inclusion,” said Deborah Murphy, founder and Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks, a pedestrian advocacy organization. “Every year in Los Angeles, over 200 people are killed on city streets – almost half of them while walking and biking. There is no time to spare when it comes to implementing better street design, targeted education, and strategic enforcement that creates safe, equitable walking environments and saves lives.”

To learn more about the Focus Cities Program, see http://visionzeronetwork.org or contact Leah Shahum at leah@visionzeronetwork.org

To learn more about the Los Angeles Vision Zero Initiative, see http://visionzero.lacity.org/ or contact visionzero@lacity.org.