EP 005: Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a street safety campaign that seeks to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in a local jurisdiction to zero by a set time period.

The idea that people shouldn’t die when occupying the right of way isn’t a new one - in fact, it is nearly as old in the United States as cars themselves.

Because gun violence, drug overdoses, and traffic fatalities remain the top-three preventable public health scourges of modern American society, transportation advocates understandably feel a sense of urgency in making our streets safer for everyone.

But does street safety only refer to traffic safety?

Thanks to the work of #BlackLivesMatter activists, there is an increasing awareness to death, discrimination, and disproportionate enforcement experienced by Black people, as well as other marginalized populations, at the hands of police forces throughout our country on our streets every day. How does Vision Zero intersect with a broader call to street safety? Where can we go together?

Naomi Doerner is an transportation planner and mobility advocate. Over the last decade, she has developed and implemented effective community participation strategies that have led to more equitable transportation planning outcomes in the public and private sectors. Drawing upon her experience of being from and working in and with traditionally underrepresented groups--youth, women, low-income communities, and multi-cultural and communities of color, Naomi has worked with bike and walk advocates across the country helping them develop equity-based advocacy campaigns in their communities and the movement at-large. She does this work because she believes safe, accessible, and affordable transportation are essential to economic mobility and social equity.

Tamika Butler joined the LACBC staff as the Executive Director in December 2014. Prior to leading LACBC Tamika was the Director of Social Change Strategies at Liberty Hill Foundation, where she oversaw the foundation’s boys and men of color program and the foundation’s LGBTQ grant strategy. Before Liberty Hill, Tamika worked at Young Invincibles as the California Director. As the CA Director, she was responsible for the development of all of Young Invincibles’ programs in California. Tamika was responsible for building out Young Invincibles’ operations on the West Coast and grew the office to the largest regional office outside of their DC headquarters. She transitioned to policy work after litigating for three years as an employment lawyer at Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.

Keith Benjamin is a focused, action-oriented leader who has dedicated much of his time towards the creation and cultivation of communities that politically, socially, and economically thrive in the most equitable manner. He has traveled the world identifying the keys to increasing livability, accesses, mobility and health of populations most disproportionately affected. He currently serves as the Community Partnership Manager for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and has worked in 8 states and 40 cities on offering placemaking as a solution to better physical activity, safety, mobility and opportunity.

Roll Credits:

Today’s show was produced by Mychal Tetteh; and edited by Eric Klein. You can find us on our Facebook page and on Twitter @whyisntanyone. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or your feed of choice.

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We are a project of Umbrella, a Portland-based nonprofit that encourages community-based street culture. We’ll be back with another episode in two weeks. In the meantime, keep asking, “Why isn’t anyone talking about this?” Because they should, and we are.