Vision Zero, Zero Progress?
New Audit Slams L.A.’s Deadly Street Fix Program
Damian Kevitt with then Mayor Garcetti in 2016
Nine years ago, Los Angeles made a bold promise: eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. That promise was called Vision Zero. But according to a damning new audit covered in the Los Angeles Times, the results are in—and they’re tragic.
Instead of going down, traffic fatalities have gone up.
Pedestrian deaths in L.A. have surged by more than 50% since Vision Zero began.
In 2023 alone, 336 people were killed in traffic violence—nearly one a day. And of the 56 action items the city committed to? Nearly half remain unfinished.
The audit, conducted by KPMG and commissioned by the City Administrative Officer, paints a picture of dysfunction:
No clear lead agency or unified direction.
Missed deadlines and incomplete tasks.
A steep drop-off in enforcement, especially from LAPD.
Little public transparency, and even less political will.
What’s even more heartbreaking is that the city knows where the danger is. The High Injury Network—where most deaths and serious injuries occur—has barely been touched. Only 1% of city streets make up 70% of traffic deaths and severe injuries, yet proven fixes aren’t being implemented fast enough or at all.
High Injury Network by City Council District
Source: LA DOT
SAFE has been calling for bold, coordinated action for years. In our year-end reports for both 2022 and 2023, we laid out clear, actionable recommendations to fix the Vision Zero program.
We know what works: slower speeds, safer crossings, protected bike lanes, and real investment in enforcement, education, and infrastructure.
But without accountability, Vision Zero becomes just another broken promise.
Los Angeles can and must do better. We urge the Mayor, City Council, and all departments to take this audit as a wake-up call—not just a report to shelve.
Lives are on the line.
📖 Read the full article in the Los Angeles Times:
An audit of L.A.’s program to fix deadly streets outlines its many failures