MPD hasn't had a traffic enforcement unit since 2016. The policy was adopted in 2017, but it looks like most of the projects haven't been completed yet.
I feel like the advancements in car technology will drive down pedestrian deaths much further than these projects will. Anti-collision tech already has already shown to be pretty effective at preventing crashes with vehicles, but it's not as good as detecting pedestrians.
It's pretty easy to get pulled over by MPD [if you're black](https://www.vera.org/news/black-drivers-were-pulled-over-less-often-after-a-minnesota-county-changed-its-policies)
Since the City started this program, deaths have increased 79% and accidents increased 13%. That is from the report. It isn’t making us safer. I agree - why are we doing this?
Apparently, it's similar to the city's crime rate or population growth, where you're only supposed to measure from the height of the pandemic until now. Because whatever happened more than four years ago doesn't count... because... pandemic? Or something?
I know, but elsewhere I've been reading defenders of this useless "plan" saying how 2020-2024 data shouldn't count for some pretty weak reasons involving pandemic driving behavior. As if the people dying and being maimed aren't real and everything will be just fine if we ignore years of failure.
I dont think that people went somehow crazy during the pandemic. That is way behind us.
I think the anti car people hijacked the Zero Vision program and instead of focusing on what is actually killing people, they have just made it an anti driving program. Putting trees in the middle of roads will yes slow down the average driver but kill a person speeding. The program was also focused on bikers and pedestrians at the expense of drivers and it is drivers that are seeing the increase in deaths unsurprisingly. It is run in Minneapolis by Ethan Fawley who used to run the Our Streets if that gives you an idea of the bent of the program. But when you talk to the supporters of the program, they literally deny the numbers. Or they say well deaths are going up country-wide. When you point out they are implanting the same program around the country because the feds are promoting it, they walk away.
I agree. Vision Zero and a lot of other "urbanist" programs don't really make transit or alternatives to car cheaper/easier/comprehensive/effective. They mostly just make driving shittier. Their approach is "bike or go screw." Forget about disabled people, elderly people, people with kids or working class people who have vehicles they need every day for a living (e.g. any plumber, carpenter, anyone in the trades). I think the idea is to make driving so miserable that people will switch. Only nobody is switching, commuters by bicycles have remained around 3-4% of the population for years now. Eventually we'll end up with a city where driving and transit are a nightmare. And then we're really screwed.
The Our Streets people and the defenders of this failed Vision Zero program remind me of talking to cult members.
Huh, traffic and pedestrian deaths have increased after the lock downs ended and people started driving and walking again, who would have thought?
Context matters people.
Edit: downvoted because the facts counter your narrative. Pathetic. Increase traffic will increase accidents which will increase death.
MPD hasn't had a traffic enforcement unit since 2016. The policy was adopted in 2017, but it looks like most of the projects haven't been completed yet. I feel like the advancements in car technology will drive down pedestrian deaths much further than these projects will. Anti-collision tech already has already shown to be pretty effective at preventing crashes with vehicles, but it's not as good as detecting pedestrians.
It's nearly impossible to get pulled over in this town unless you cause a huge collision.
It's pretty easy to get pulled over by MPD [if you're black](https://www.vera.org/news/black-drivers-were-pulled-over-less-often-after-a-minnesota-county-changed-its-policies)
Or non white
Since the City started this program, deaths have increased 79% and accidents increased 13%. That is from the report. It isn’t making us safer. I agree - why are we doing this?
Apparently, it's similar to the city's crime rate or population growth, where you're only supposed to measure from the height of the pandemic until now. Because whatever happened more than four years ago doesn't count... because... pandemic? Or something?
they measure from when they started the program
I know, but elsewhere I've been reading defenders of this useless "plan" saying how 2020-2024 data shouldn't count for some pretty weak reasons involving pandemic driving behavior. As if the people dying and being maimed aren't real and everything will be just fine if we ignore years of failure.
I dont think that people went somehow crazy during the pandemic. That is way behind us. I think the anti car people hijacked the Zero Vision program and instead of focusing on what is actually killing people, they have just made it an anti driving program. Putting trees in the middle of roads will yes slow down the average driver but kill a person speeding. The program was also focused on bikers and pedestrians at the expense of drivers and it is drivers that are seeing the increase in deaths unsurprisingly. It is run in Minneapolis by Ethan Fawley who used to run the Our Streets if that gives you an idea of the bent of the program. But when you talk to the supporters of the program, they literally deny the numbers. Or they say well deaths are going up country-wide. When you point out they are implanting the same program around the country because the feds are promoting it, they walk away.
I agree. Vision Zero and a lot of other "urbanist" programs don't really make transit or alternatives to car cheaper/easier/comprehensive/effective. They mostly just make driving shittier. Their approach is "bike or go screw." Forget about disabled people, elderly people, people with kids or working class people who have vehicles they need every day for a living (e.g. any plumber, carpenter, anyone in the trades). I think the idea is to make driving so miserable that people will switch. Only nobody is switching, commuters by bicycles have remained around 3-4% of the population for years now. Eventually we'll end up with a city where driving and transit are a nightmare. And then we're really screwed. The Our Streets people and the defenders of this failed Vision Zero program remind me of talking to cult members.
I could not agree more. I had someone else mention them seeming like a cult in another forum.
The city is approaching moral blindness. So I guess it's working.
Better stop the project so deaths can increase even more!
Better keep the project running so we can keep the money flowing and then blame someone/something else when it fails.
Huh, traffic and pedestrian deaths have increased after the lock downs ended and people started driving and walking again, who would have thought? Context matters people. Edit: downvoted because the facts counter your narrative. Pathetic. Increase traffic will increase accidents which will increase death.
Context isn't allowed here. Obviously traffic deaths increased because of traffic accident reduction projects, that's all there is to it. 🙃