Background ITDP is an international NGO that promotes sustainable mobility, in Mexico we have been strongly promoting the use of the bicycle as a mode of transportation. This would help in cities that are highly congested and also where people have sedentary lifestyles. Continuously we face the same problem, people are afraid to use the bicycle due to the lack of road safety. The philosophy behind Vision Zero has been helping to develop an integrated strategy to promote safer streets and the conditions to increase the number of bicycle trips.

Methods An international comparative study of different Vision Zero plans was developed, analysing the origin in Sweden, and looking at cases such as the one in New York and San Francisco. Interviews and field work has been developed with strategic actors of Mexico City with the support of international experts on road safety and street design.

Results Vision Zero has been a philosophy which helps to gather efforts from civil society and the government that before were disconnected. The main idea “No loss of life is acceptable” is a strong argument to put the topic on the agenda. A coalition Vision Zero of different groups of civil society in Mexico City has been formed. The concept also brings flexibility to adapt to the contexts of Mexican cities. It has been identified components of street design, regulation, and mobility culture and road safety management. Vision Zero has been promoted from civil society, and now it is a discourse taken by the Mayor, the Ministry of Mobility and the one of Public Safety of Mexico City. It was accomplished the publication of the new transit regulation, where civil society worked together with the government to define better regulation for pedestrians and cyclists. Now, the coalition is defining next actions to advocate for, in order to have an integrated road safety policy with activities, timelines and responsible persons.

Conclusions Vision Zero has gather efforts to reduce deaths in Mexico City from different actors. A Vision Zero Ranking at a national level could help to identify what needs to be done by civil society, the government and private sector in order to be able to say that the city has appropriated this strategy. It will also helped to avoid empty discourses from authority and also the provide elements to empower civil society.