Noah Kazis

CrashStat, the interactive map of cyclist and pedestrian injuries and fatalities, is one of the most important tools for New Yorkers who want to make their streets safer. Nothing else lets you quickly access the safety stats for your community or visualize the injury rates at specific intersections and streets.

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Last year's legislative session in Albany included a number of victories for supporters of smart growth and safer streets, including the passage of the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, Hayley and Diego's Law, and bus lane camera enforcement for New York City. But the complete streets bill, which was passed by the State Senate and made it through the Assembly's transportation committee, didn't cross the finish line before the end of the session.

Thanks to New York City's Economic Development Corporation, the residents of Midwood are about to enjoy a wider selection of produce and kosher foods. Under the FRESH program, Moisha's Discount Supermarket is slated to receive just under $2 million in tax breaks to double its size and provide more grocery options to the underserved community [PDF]. Along with 15,000 square feet of supermarket, however, the neighborhood will be receiving 18,000 square feet of parking.

According to DOT data, 269 people died in traffic crashes on the streets of New York City last year, 11 more than in 2009. While that total shows New York City's streets to be the safest of any major American city and less deadly than a generation ago, as Mayor Bloomberg said when announcing the same data last year, "even one traffic fatality is too many."

The Upper West Side is offering the city a lesson in what a mature and constructive response to bike lane growing pains looks like.

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Though New York is the least car-dependent state in the country, the state DOT isn't known for championing for the state's millions of non-drivers. In some corners of the large and decentralized agency, however, progressive ideas have taken root and new programs are being developed. At yesterday's Rudin Center conference on livability, two DOT officials embraced the state's extremely ambitious climate plan and outlined a course to expand the state's much-praised GreenLITES certification system. The challenge for new DOT commissioner Joan McDonald will be to embrace the good thinking already coming from within the department and turn it into statewide policy.

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City sustainability chief David Bragdon offered some more hints about what to expect from April's update of PlaNYC this morning. Speaking at a livability conference hosted by NYU's Rudin Center, Bragdon said that the update would eschew large capital projects and feature a larger role for neighborhoods and individuals. In terms of transportation, Bragdon seemed to suggest that a call for a new Hudson River crossing of some kind would be a part of PlaNYC 2.0.