The D.C. Department of Transportation announced Thursday it is renewing its Vision Zero program with a reimagined plan for eliminating all traffic deaths in the city and a new website.

The update includes information on the status of the plan since its initial implementation in 2015 and data on factors such as traffic deaths in D.C. compared to other cities, and fatality rates by ward. It also highlights how Vision Zero will be updated in an effort to eventually reach the goal of zero traffic deaths.

In a statement on the website, Mayor Muriel Bowser says “Our original target of achieving zero deaths by 2024 was ambitious.” Indeed, with 40 traffic-related deaths, last year was D.C.’s deadliest year on the roads since 2007. But, she says “we are beginning to see the fruits of the many traffic safety initiatives started within the past seven years.”

Bowser, though, says the primary onus is on the city to solve this problem, “All of these efforts will be in service to prevent more families from losing loved ones. As a government, we have a large share of responsibility to prevent deaths.”

Bowser also highlights the importance of equity, as Wards 7 and 8 see the highest amount of traffic violence and number of fatalities. This, she says, will be addressed in part in the FY2023 budget in which she invested funds for improvements on dangerous corridors and high-crash intersections, and in “safer walks to school through a big expansion to our school crossing guard program.”

Another aspect of the updated program is partnering with members of the community and local stakeholders. This, Jonathan Adkins, the Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association says, could have a tremendous impact on the effort.

“We need to see more law enforcement out, not necessarily in their patrol cars, but biking, walking, interacting with the community. That will keep us a little bit safer on the roads,” he told DCist.

Visible involvement from the Metropolitan Police Department, he added, could be a game-changer.

For instance, he said when a driver is knowingly speeding, their first instinct when seeing a police officer is likely going to be to slow down.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 29% of all motor vehicle deaths in the United States in 2020 occurred because of speeding.

There are legitimate reasons for members of the community to have reservations about an increased police presence, Adkins acknowledged, and that’s why engagement without the threat of punishment is so critical.

“It doesn’t mean that we need a lot of tickets and a lot of traffic stops, but that we do need more community engagement by law enforcement,” Adkins said.

While it is highly unlikely that the city will reach its goal of zero traffic-related deaths by 2024, there has been progress. As of October 28, there have been ten fewer deaths than there were at this time last year.

Adkins remains optimistic.

“It can’t just be a press release and a relaunch… We’ve got to make these difficult improvements in our infrastructure that take a while. We’ve got to engage the community. We’ve got to support traffic enforcement…. And so I’m hopeful that it will work. And this relaunch is an important step, but it’s really just the first step,” Adkins said.

The multidisciplinary Vision Zero approach was first implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, and has since expanded across many European and American cities.