New Vision Zero action plan addresses dangerous NYC streets where most pedestrian fatalities occur

Half of NYC fatal pedestrian accidents occur on 7% or 424 miles of the city’s streets. These specific streets are going to be the main focus of the new Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans that were just released by the DOT yesterday. Mayor de Blasio announced that by the end of this year specific streets and avenues will undergo design changes to protect pedestrians from being killed in traffic.  The following priority corridors were identified for safety modifications:

• Westchester Avenue, Boston Road and Soundview Avenue in the Bronx
• Linden Boulevard, 8th Avenue, Surf Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn
• Columbus Avenue, York Avenue and 10th Avenue in Manhattan
• Rockaway Boulevard, 37th Avenue and 21st Street in Queens
•  Targee Street, Bradley Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Staten Island

Leading Pedestrian Interval installed at every feasible intersection of priority corridors

Left turns have been identified as one of the main causes of fatal pedestrian accidents and Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) will be programmed into traffic signals to minimize conflicts between vehicles turning and pedestrians crossing at every feasible intersection of all newly identified priority corridors.  Traffic signal timing will also be modified to reduce speeding. Additional speed humps and speed cushions will be built.  All priority corridors will also be subject to highly visible enforcement and Vision Zero violations such as failure to yield to pedestrians and speeding will be tracked. The new Borough Pedestrian Safety Plans also include a specific Corridor Outreach Program, a Driveway Safety program targeting vehicles crossing sidewalks as well as a study of injuries suffered by senior pedestrians. The new plans also include a collaboration with the Business Integrity Commission to improve the safety of commercial garbage trucks.

Additionally the city will continue to improve the priority corridors identified in the first Borough Pedestrian Safety Plans published in 2014 to expand the bike lanes network and to improve child and senior pedestrian safety.

Read more here

Picture: Courtesy of Vision Zero