We Know What Works:
A Compilation of Vision Zero Successes
Across the country, more communities are committing to Vision Zero, shifting to more lasting, upstream-focused strategies, and starting to see real results.
It’s true that wide-scale safety progress is slowed by a long legacy of speed-over-safety policies and street and vehicle designs; increasing sizes, weights and speeds of motor vehicles; and general resistance to change. But it’s also true that when we zoom in on what’s actually occurring on the streets – often at micro-levels – we see what kinds of investments are working to improve safety.
The series of blogs below highlights the impressive bright spots in Vision Zero work across the country, showing what’s working, what should be scaled up to have greater benefits, and how we can achieve significant progress toward Vision Zero by doubling down on what works.
We know change is hard and usually slower than we wish, but these real-world examples – coming from communities of all shapes and sizes across the country – offer real inspiration and practical lessons for us all. Each of the pieces below includes 5-10 examples of on-the-ground models for Vision Zero change – check them out!
Encouraging news: Traffic deaths in 2025 are 12% fewer than in 2024. And many early-adopter Vision Zero cities in the U.S. are reporting more notable decreases in traffic deaths in 2025. In some places, the number has been reduced to pre-pandemic levels. In a few cities, 2025 marks one of the safest years in modern recordkeeping. While it is far too early to celebrate any sea change, this positive news is worth highlighting and exploring. Find out where safety progress was most notable last year – and our notions on lessons learned – Vision Zero in 2025 Shows Progress: Lessons to Learn.
In 2026, it’s worth asking a different question — not whether Vision Zero is “failing,” but how communities across the country are building on what’s already working. From street reconfigurations that significantly reduced speeding to traffic calming interventions preventing pedestrian injuries, these real-world examples show that progress is happening and accelerating. Read Vision Zero in 2026: Why the Next Phase Matters More Than Ever.
According to a November 2025 Washington Post article, “The evidence is irrefutable that Vision Zero improvements — such as adding crosswalks, giving pedestrians more time to cross and narrowing multilane roads in busy areas — do work.” Find out how cities including Austin, Orlando, Milwaukee and Columbus are proving it on the ground.
Is your Vision Zero progress feeling slow? Don’t worry, real change is happening. In our July 2025 webinar, Small Steps, Real Results: Scaling Up Vision Zero, we showcase how various communities, both small and large, are building momentum for Vision Zero through simple, but meaningful, safety strategies. From speed limit reductions in Madison, WI to quick-build traffic calming measures in Cincinnati, OH, these on-the-ground successes show us that small, but targeted interventions can yield real safety results.
At the 2025 NACTO Conference in Washington, D.C., transportation and roadway safety leaders from across the country came together to share progress they’re making for safe streets. We heard about exciting changes communities are making—with encouraging results—and learned what Vision Zero cities are prioritizing, from speed management to more effective messaging, and improving safety on state-owned roads. We learned of key strategies communities see as essential for the next five years, offering inspiration and direction for scaling up what works. Check out our brief recap for some high level takeaways and inspiration.
Despite persistently high traffic deaths and injuries in the U.S., we have reason for hope—and an urgent need to scale up proven strategies. Communities implementing Vision Zero and Safe System approaches are seeing tangible results: fewer serious crashes, healthier neighborhoods, and cost savings. This blog explores how communities across the nation and at various stages of Vision Zero implementation are doubling down on proven strategies toward zero.
We’ll keep updating this page as we learn about more on-the-ground successes to inspire and inform your work. Stay tuned!
Do you have a success story you want to share with us? Please email Tiffany at [email protected] or share more about the results of a safety project or policy that’s proving effective in your community here.