New York Construction News staff writer
A new three-pronged plan has been launched to accelerate the city’s efforts to make streets safer. The plan includes upgrades to at least 2,000 intersections per year, through a tool known as daylighting to at least 1,000 of those intersections each year.
“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,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
“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.”
In the coming weeks, Mayor Adams will issue an executive order with a framework for contractor heavy duty vehicles to include vehicle safety training and technology, ranging from truck surround cameras to telematics. Separately, the mayor’s office will work with the Business Integrity Commission to further strengthen rules related to heavy-duty trade waste vehicles.
“New York City is leading the way on implementing proven vehicle safety technology that will save lives and prevent injuries on our nation’s roads,” said National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. “The U.S. is facing a growing public health crisis on our roads, with nearly 43,000 people dying annually and millions more injured. Speed is one of the greatest risk factors in crashes.
“I applaud the mayor’s actions and strongly encourage other cities, states, and the federal government to follow in the city’s footsteps and take action now to save lives.”
