NYC to improve safety conditions at 2,000 intersections per year
All photos courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation
Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday launched an initiative that will boost New York City’s ongoing efforts to improve traffic safety by doubling the number of intersections that receive safety enhancements to at least 2,000 per year. Visibility improvements will be made to a minimum of 1,000 intersections per year using an effective method known as daylighting. The initiative comes after a tow truck driver killed a 7-year-old at an “undaylighted” intersection in Brooklyn last month.
Daylighting involves removing the parking spots closest to an intersection for better visibility for both pedestrians and drivers. Of the 2,000 intersections getting safety upgrades, 1,000 will receive daylighting treatments, 10 times the requirement under local law and three times the current rate, according to the mayor.
“Protecting New Yorkers is my most sacred responsibility as mayor, and that holds true for traffic violence just as much as any other form of violence. Our streets must be safe places for all New Yorkers — pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike,” Adams said.
“Today, I’m excited to announce that we are doubling our current pace of intersection safety improvements, because that’s where more than half of all traffic injuries and deaths take place. We’re going to include traffic violence in CompStat, to treat traffic violence like the serious crime that it is. And we’re ensuring that the city leads the way towards a safer future, starting with our own fleet.”
Navigating intersections safely comes with a complex set of challenges. Crashes that occur at intersections account for 50 percent of all fatalities and 70 percent of all injuries per year. Pedestrians in particular face a heightened risk of incident, with 55 percent of pedestrian fatalities and 79 percent of pedestrian traffic injuries taking place at intersections.
As part of the initiative, the NYPD will start adding traffic violence to its regular CompStat reporting, treating it as a critical public safety issue. The Adams administration will also work to make vehicles safer across the city by installing critical safety upgrades in city vehicles.
Starting on January 1, New Yorkers can access the NYPD’s CompStat 2.0 online dashboard and view weekly-updated data on traffic fatalities, elevating traffic safety as one of the city’s top priorities in addition to fighting crime and promoting public safety.
The Department of Transportation will also expand its regular traffic fatality data starting in January. Beginning next year, DOT will better account for its traffic-related data by dividing the types of traffic fatalities into 11 categories up from the current five. The new table will include the following categories: pedestrian, traditional bike, motorcycle, e-bike, moped, stand-up e-scooter, dirt bike/ATV, other motorized two-wheeled device, car, SUV, and other motor vehicles.
The initiative will also expand a pilot program launched by Adams in August 2022, which added active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology to 50 city vehicles, restricting their maximum speeds. This program, paired with additional technological improvements, has led to a 20 percent decrease in city vehicle crashes.
The administration will now add ISA technology to 50 school buses for the first time ever, ensuring that young New Yorkers are safe as they travel to and from school. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services will test additional safety improvements to the school buses including audible turn alerts, safety surround cameras, pedestrian collision warning systems, and back-up sensors.
In January 2022, Mayor Adams announced a plan to better protect pedestrians by improving the design of 1,000 intersections across the city, constructing 100 raised crosswalks per year, and enforcing a new traffic rule that requires drivers and cyclists to fully stop for pedestrians when traffic controls are not in place.
“Today’s announcement will save lives,” Fabiola Mendieta-Cuapio, a member of Families for Safe Streets, said.
“We know that the single best way to prevent traffic deaths is through design and policy changes, and we’re grateful that the Adams administration will be implementing proven solutions like daylighting and safety technology. No family should ever have to experience losing someone due to traffic violence, and we know that better street and intersection design will protect New Yorkers across the city.”
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