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What is Vision Zero? 

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.

The Safe System Approach 

Hudson County’s goal is Vision Zero, and the Safe System Approach is how the County will reach this goal. In the Safe System Approach, eliminating fatalities and severe injuries is the top priority. While decreasing crashes is important, our focus is specifically reducing and eliminating crashes with the greatest severity. This new approach understands that people make mistakes when driving, walking, or biking, and works to prevent these mistakes from causing death and serious injury. The Safe System Approach focuses on the transportation network gaps that can be addressed through physical changes to the environment or policy improvements.

To learn more about the Safe Systems Approach, visit the USDOT website. 

Project Goals & Timeline 

Hudson County has published the countywide Vision Zero Action Plan with the following policy and design strategy considerations:

    • Making streets safer for people walking and biking through Complete Streets improvements.
    • Fixing common risks on roads by adding clear markings, lights, and signs.
    • Adding simple safety measures like turning lanes, rumble strips, and brighter road markings along high-crash corridors.
    • Providing Safe Routes to School and improved public transit services for underserved communities.
    • Conducting community outreach and education when making changes that are new to communities.

    These strategy considerations build on Hudson County’s Complete Streets Resolution that was passed in 2012. Complete Streets support mobility and safety for all users, including people of all ages and abilities, whether they are traveling as drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, or public transit riders.

    The Hudson County Vision Zero Action Plan will complement the implementation of existing Vision Zero Action Plans in Hoboken and Jersey City by focusing on County roads in these municipalities. The Vision Zero Action Plan will also complement the Meadowlands Action Plan for Safety, currently underway in the Meadowlands District (which includes portions of Hudson County). In August 2023, the County established the Vision Zero Task Force by Executive Order to ensure intercounty collaboration on the Plan.

    The Planning Process 

    At the end of 2023, The Hudson County Division of Planning began identifying key partners, collecting data, and educating the public about the upcoming Vision Zero Action Plan. The County Executive’s Office launched a Vision Zero Task Force made up of government, law enforcement, and community partners who guided the development and implementation of the planThroughout 2024, the task force met, conducted public outreach and worked collaboratively to develop the Safety Action Plan. The plan supports all road users and was published in January 2025.

    The key components include:

    • A goal timeline of 2034 for elimination of fatalities from traffic crashes.
    • An analysis of existing conditions and crash data that provides a baseline level of crash fatalities and serious injuries to improve upon.
    • Engagement with the public that allows for community representation and feedback.
    • Policy assessment to identify future opportunities to improve transportation safety.
    • Development of strategies and projects to address roadway safety informed by the Plan, best practices, and the best available data.
    • Ways to transparently measure progress over time after the Plan is developed.

    Funding 

    The Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program, providing $5 Billion in funds over 5 years. The SS4A grant funds are administered by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

    Hudson County was awarded a Federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant of $480,000 to develop the Hudson County Vision Zero Action Plan. Hudson County, along with municipal partners, will be eligible for further SS4A Planning and Implementation Grants to implement Action Plan projects and strategies following the completion of the Vision Zero Action Plan. In November 2024, Hudson County was awarded an additional $260,000 for supplemental planning efforts focusing on building bicycle and pedestrian networks.

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