Vision Zero
Streetsblog Basics
MTA Refuses to Test Simple Bus Design Fix That Could Save Lives
Council Member Antonio Reynoso has introduced a resolution calling on the MTA to install rear wheel side guards, which keep pedestrians and cyclists from being crushed beneath the wheels of a bus. The equipment is already used on buses in cities across the country, but the MTA says it's not interested in installing sideguards on its vehicles.
March 12, 2015
Demonstrators Call for Swift Action From City Hall to Fix Queens Boulevard
When it comes to redesigning Queens Boulevard for safe walking and biking, there's no time to spare. It's a matter of life and death.
March 9, 2015
Hsi-Pei Liao Tells Pete Donohue Why the Right-of-Way Law Matters
In the skirmish over the Right-of-Way Law, which allows for misdemeanor charges when a driver strikes a pedestrian or cyclist with the right of way, the rationale for enacting the law sometimes gets lost.
March 5, 2015
De Blasio Commits $250M to Overhaul Major Streets, But How Far Will It Go?
Before a City Council transportation committee budget hearing this morning, the de Blasio administration announced its "Great Streets" initiative, which includes $250 million in capital funds to improve safety on Queens Boulevard, the Grand Concourse, Atlantic Avenue, and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn.
March 5, 2015
TSTC Dangerous Roads Report: NYC Must Fund Vision Zero Street Redesigns
The latest pedestrian fatality report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign finds that New York City’s widest and most heavily-traveled streets continue to be the most dangerous for walking.
March 4, 2015
The Post Imagines a Nightmare City Where All Speeders Get Caught
You have to feel sorry for the three -- three! -- New York Post reporters stuck with attacking Mayor de Blasio for NYPD enforcement of the speed limit. It's a story package so fatuous it could only have come from the Post editorial braintrust.
March 3, 2015
TA: Inconsistency Between Precincts Undermines NYPD Traffic Enforcement
In the year since Mayor Bill de Blasio promised stepped-up traffic enforcement under Vision Zero, NYPD has moved in the right direction, according to a new report from Transportation Alternatives [PDF]. At the same time, enforcement varies dramatically from precinct to precinct, weakening overall deterrence.
February 27, 2015
Parents of Seth Kahn: Ineffective MTA Protocols Contributed to Son’s Death
After Wednesday’s MTA board meeting transit chief Tom Prendergast said the agency may revise bus routes to reduce the number of turns bus drivers have to make, in order to minimize conflicts between buses and pedestrians, according to the Daily News. Prendergast said another possibility would be to move crosswalks away from intersections where buses make turns, which would necessitate streetscape changes by DOT.
February 27, 2015
DOT’s Safety Plan for 21st Street in Astoria Leaves Everyone Wanting More
A street safety plan for 21st Street in western Queens has left elected officials asking for more from DOT.
February 26, 2015
Report: All New NYC Garbage Trucks Should Have Life-Saving Side Guards
Earlier this month, the city announced a pilot program to add side guards, which prevent people from being dragged under the rear wheels of large vehicles, to 240 trucks in the city fleet. It's a start, but there are thousands more trucks on NYC streets that need this life-saving equipment.
February 26, 2015