Project by David Marvin @david.a.marvin
This project evaluates the implementation and effectiveness of New York City’s Vision Zero program in Eastern Queens, focusing on NYC Council Districts 19 and 23. Using ACS demographic and commuting data, Vision Zero intervention layers, and NYC Crash Mapper datasets from 2012 to 2014 and 2022 to 2024, the study applies spatial analysis techniques including choropleth mapping and kernel density estimation to examine relationships between vehicle ownership, commuting behavior, infrastructure investment, and crash outcomes over time. Findings show that the auto-oriented, affluent, and politically conservative districts of CD 19 and 23 continue to experience persistently high per-capita crash rates alongside relatively limited Vision Zero infrastructure investment. Persistent crash hotspots and resistance to street redesigns suggest that implementation barriers, political opposition, and municipal prioritization methodologies may constrain the reach of life-saving safety interventions, even in communities with substantial political influence and available resources.
