Principles & Policies

Streets should be designed to protect vulnerable users like pedestrians and micromobility users while maintaining necessary vehicular access, as safety improvements can also simplify traffic flow and reduce confusion. Introduced in 2014, New York City’s Vision Zero initiative aims to eliminate preventable traffic deaths and injuries through a multifaceted approach including street design, enforcement, and education. DOT uses roadway geometry, such as lane width, intersection design, curb extensions, raised medians, and cycling infrastructure, among others to promote safe driving, reduce pedestrian crossing distances, and create dedicated space for cyclists. Redesigned streets employing these strategies reduce both the likelihood and severity of crashes. In 2024, traffic fatalities reached their lowest level since 2020, and senior pedestrian fatalities dropped to the lowest number on record. 

Vision Zero Street Design Strategies

The Vision Zero street design strategies focus on creating safe, accessible, and livable streets for all users. These strategies emphasize reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries through various engineering, enforcement, and educational strategies:

• Speed Management: Speed is a critical factor in the severity of crashes. Vision Zero supports lowering speed limits and implementing traffic calming measures such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and narrow lanes. Due to the passage of “Sammy’s Law” in 2024, DOT is now  authorized to lower speed limits in select locations
• Pedestrian-Friendly Features: Streets are designed to be safer and more accessible for pedestrians. This includes features such as pedestrian islands, curb extensions, raised crosswalks, wider sidewalks, and enhanced crosswalk visibility. In 2024, NYC DOT added over 350,000 square feet of new pedestrian space
• Protected Bike Lanes: Dedicated and physically separated bike lanes provide safe spaces for cyclists, reducing the risk of collisions with motor vehicles. In 2024, NYC DOT installed 29.3 miles of protected bike lanes—the third most in a single year in city history
• Intersection Safety: Intersections are redesigned to minimize conflicts between users. This includes implementing hardened daylighting, turn-calming measures, leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs), and reconfiguring layouts to reduce crossing distances. In 2024, DOT completed 2,688 intersection redesigns, more than any previous year
• Complete Streets: Streets are designed to serve all users, not just motorists. This includes adding bike lanes, pedestrian paths, and transit amenities. Projects like Queens Boulevard and Second Avenue incorporated multimodal improvements to enhance corridor safety and accessibility
• Road Diets: Reconfiguring roadways to reduce the number of lanes for motor vehicles while adding space for pedestrians and cyclists. This approach has been shown to reduce crash rates significantly and is used widely throughout Vision Zero redesigns
• Senior and School Zones: Special attention is given to areas with vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens and school children. Design interventions include extended crossing times, traffic calming near schools, and ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, with over 8,500 ramp corners installed or upgraded in 2024
• Access Management: Properly locating and designing curb cuts along City streets to enhance roadway safety and operations by reducing and separating motor vehicle conflicts from pedestrians and other vulnerable street users, lowering turning speeds, and streamlining intersection operations.

Universal and human-centered design as it pertains to street design involves creating accessible, safe, and equitable streets that cater to the needs of all users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. This approach takes into consideration the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and public transportation users, and seeks to create a balance between them. Some examples of universal and human-centered design in street design include providing curb ramps, accessible crosswalks, bike lanes, and adequate lighting. By taking a universal and human centered approach to street design, cities can create streets that are more inclusive, safer, and more enjoyable for everyone. For more detailed guidance, review Accessibility.

Reimagining our streets as public spaces involves transforming traditional roadways into vibrant, multi-functional areas tailored to the unique context of each neighborhood. This approach prioritizes safety, accessibility, and community engagement for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and public transit users. By considering the specific characteristics and needs of each street, such as location, history, and surrounding land uses, cities can create transportation networks that foster physical activity, social interaction, and community cohesion. Enhancements like pedestrian plazas, wider sidewalks, and bike lanes not only encourage exercise and reduce pollution but also improve sustainable mobility and access to jobs, education, and essential services, thereby boosting economic vitality.

Innovative urban logistics solutions, such as microhubs for delivery trucks, expanded cargo bike usage, and waterways for freight deliveries, are designed with the street's context in mind, improving the efficiency and safety of goods movement while minimizing environmental impact. By thoughtfully redesigning public spaces to reflect the character and needs of each community, cities can support residents' well-being and promote thriving local economies. This contextual approach ensures that transportation infrastructure is not only functional and safe but also enhances the unique identity of each neighborhood, creating more livable and resilient urban environments.

By thoughtfully redesigning public spaces to reflect the character and needs of each community, cities can support residents' well-being and promote thriving local economies. This contextual approach ensures that transportation infrastructure is not only functional and safe but also enhances the unique identity of each neighborhood, creating more livable and resilient urban environments.

Proper management of drainage and stormwater is crucial in street design to prevent ponding and flooding issues. Modifications to street geometry should avoid unintended changes in stormwater runoff direction and disposition. Adequate roadway grades, ideally 1.5% and a minimum of 0.5%, are required to direct runoff to catch basins. Incorporating planted areas and stormwater source controls within the roadway wherever feasible is beneficial. For further guidance on green infrastructure treatments, refer to Stormwater Management Practices. Effective stormwater control within the street network can offer significant resiliency benefits, especially in areas prone to frequent flooding.

Resilient design is essential for a street’s ability to continue its functions in extreme precipitation, flooding, or heat. On a network level, resilience helps maintain access to critical facilities, such as hospitals, shelters, and cooling centers during extreme weather events. Evaluating climate-related risks, including their triggers and thresholds, during the design process is important. In addition to adequate roadway grading and green stormwater source controls, mitigation strategies for extreme flooding may include raising streets, creating landscaped berms, and installing permanent or deployable flood walls. Designs should aim to minimize damage to DOT assets while ensuring traffic circulation for all vehicle types. Projects should consult the latest version of the Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines to determine their flood risk.

Many of the treatments in this chapter may be implemented in operational or capital materials. Use of operational materials enables DOT to test and deploy treatments more rapidly. When implementing geometric treatments in operational materials, pay special attention to edge delineation and street-sweeping needs. The treatments included in this chapter should be implemented in Concrete.

Unless a maintenance partner can be identified, new geometric treatments, including curb and sidewalk extensions in operational materials, must leave a minimum of 11 feet of roadway width to accommodate standard street sweepers and snowplow operations. 

For more information on the difference between operational and capital projects, review the Process chapter.