NYPD Work Slowdown Shows How Much Rank-and-File Care About Vision Zero
For at least two weeks, the number of summonses issued and arrests made by police officers across the city has dropped precipitously. For victimless offenses like drinking alcohol in public, the decline in ticketing may serve as an interesting natural experiment in whether "broken windows" policing is really effective. But for motor vehicle violations like speeding and failure-to-yield, the drop in enforcement is putting people's lives at risk.
January 7, 2015
Victims’ Families Demand Changes From DMV at Vigil for Allison Liao
Undeterred by the cold, nearly 100 people gathered at the corner of Main Street and Cherry Avenue in Flushing last night to remember 3-year-old Allison Liao, killed by a driver in October 2013. State DMV administrative judges had already dismissed the two tickets issued to the driver, 44-year-old Ahmad Abu-Zayedeh, before putting off a judgment at a special safety hearing yesterday. Allison's parents, Amy Tam and Hsi-Pei Liao, joined other traffic violence victims and their supporters last night to demand policy changes from the DMV.
January 7, 2015
Stuck in the Middle: When Transit-Dependent Communities Lack Good Transit
New Yorkers who live close to the center of town are mostly affluent and have great transit options connecting them to a wealth of job opportunities. On the edges of town, people are not quite as well-off, and most can get to work by driving their own cars. In between are the least affluent neighborhoods, where New Yorkers rely on transit but the number of jobs accessible by train or bus is much smaller than in the city core.
January 6, 2015
With Opening at DMV, Cuomo Has Opportunity to Lead on Street Safety
With the retirement of Barbara Fiala, the top position at the Department of Motor Vehicles is vacant, giving Governor Andrew Cuomo an opportunity to appoint someone who will use the state's oversight of driver education, training, and licensing to improve street safety and prevent traffic deaths.
January 2, 2015
Today’s Headlines
NYC Pedestrian Fatalities Reached Historic Low in 2014, But Cyclist Fatalities Increased (News, NYT) JSK: Drop in Traffic Fatalities Under de Blasio is Great, Must Be Backed by Street Redesigns (News) MTA Driver Arrested for Killing Senior, So Other Bus Drivers Refuse to Work (Post, Gothamist) Petulant Police Unions Nearly Cease Traffic Enforcement in Last … Continued
January 2, 2015