Tuesday, March 21, 2017

MAYOR DE BLASIO KICKS OFF CONSTRUCTION ON MAJOR STREET REDESIGNS AS WARM WEATHER BEGINS


$1.6 billion effort underway to add crosswalks, medians, turn-bays and bike lanes that lower risk of collisions

Roadway fatalities down: 2017 shows 20% drop from 1st quarter of last year


   Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that with the arrival of spring and warmer weather, the City is beginning work on dozens of Vision Zero street redesign and construction safety projects as part of a $1.6 billion safety initiative. New Yorkers will see new crosswalks, wider sidewalks, pedestrian refuge medians and new protected bicycle lanes in every borough. The Mayor joined agency commissioners to inspect improvements underway at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge at Tillary Street, an area where 482 people have been injured, 23 of them seriously and one person killed over the last five years. One of the biggest overhauls this season, the project includes a wide new promenade for cyclists and pedestrians using the bridge, new crosswalks, trees and medians.

“Dangerous streets have to change,” said Mayor de Blasio.  “We want to get the word out: we’re moving lanes, adding new space for pedestrians and making it safer to cross intersections—all to keep your family safe. These changes have helped make each of the last three years under Vision Zero safer than the last.”

Spring brings more than just new road engineering. Thanks to a Vision Zero education and enforcement campaign targeting the darker wintertime evening rush hour, the first quarter of 2017 has so far seen a 20 percent drop in fatalities, or 8 fewer lives lost, compared to the 48 lost in 2016. To continue that progress, the NYPD has augmented failure to yield and speeding enforcement in the early morning hours, which are the most dangerous during the spring.

Enforcement against the most dangerous driving behaviors that put pedestrians and cyclists at risk is up on the year. As of March 20th, NYPD speeding enforcement is up 17 percent year-to-date, and up 67 percent from 2014. Failure to yield enforcement up 29 percent year-to-date, and up 104 percent from 2014.

A citywide Pedestrian Safety initiative was recently conducted from Monday, March 6, 2017 through Sunday March 12, 2017. During that time, 1,915 Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian summonses were issued (an increase of 121% from the same period last year) and 12,088 other Vision Zero summonses were issued. A total of 17,416 summonses were issued for the initiative.

NYPD has a Speed Enforcement initiative currently underway. It began Monday, March 20th and concludes March 26th. NYPD is in the process of planning two more for April along with other regularly scheduled enforcement blitzes throughout the year.

Mayor de Blasio warned that the steady progress under Vision Zero would be undercut by cuts in  transportation programs in President Trump’s proposed budget announced last week.  The budget would completely eliminate important discretionary funding programs like TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) that would reduce funding for future capital projects like Adams-Tillary.

Since 2014, DOT has committed $98.8 million in Federal funds for over 30 Vision Zero capital projects, including  $7 million in Federal Highway formula funds for the Brooklyn Bridge entrance capital project, $35 million in TIGER funding for the redesign at Fordham Plaza at the Bronx and various other Vision Zero safety improvements.  In addition, NYCDOT’s four-year capital plan (FY17-20) includes over $200 million in Federal funding for dozens of additional Vision Zero capital projects.  Mayor de Blasio and DOT Commissioner Trottenberg—the former federal Undersecretary of Transportation—pledged a bipartisan effort with other major cities to push back on the President’s cuts.

Highlights of this year's safety projects (with anticipated season when construction is expected to begin):
Brooklyn
   Tillary Street Entrance to Brooklyn Bridge, Downtown  - widening of pedestrian-bike entrance leading to historic bridge promenade; added enhanced crosswalks; addition of berm, over 50 new trees, and other amenities. (In progress, expected completion in summer)

   4th Avenue, limits to be determined, multiple neighborhoods (pending community review) - Installation of parking-protected bike lanes and painted pedestrian refuge islands in advance of Vision Zero Great Streets capital project, including elevated medians, larger pedestrian refuge islands, and additional trees, greenery and art installations. (Implementation date TBD)

   Flatbush Ave and Belt Parkway Exit Ramps, Marine Park: Project will upgrade bike and pedestrian crossings over the belt parkway exit/entrance ramps, among several projects planned along Flatbush Avenue this year.  Expands on improvements to Jamaica Bay Greenway made in 2016 at Ave V and Hendrickson. (Spring)

   South 4th St, Borinquen Pl, and South 5th St, Williamsburg: Improved bike and pedestrian access to Williamsburg Bridge in advance of L train closure. Protected bike network mileage, ongoing effort to improve cyclist connections. (Summer)

Bronx
   138th St, Major Deegan to 3rd Ave, Mott Haven: Improved bike and pedestrian access to Madison Avenue Bridge. Major pedestrian improvements including new signalized crossings plus protected bike network mileage. (Summer)

   Boston Rd, Waring Ave to Pelham Pkwy North, Allerton: Two new signals will provide improved access for pedestrians and widened sidewalks will provide shorter, safer crossings. New traffic patterns will clarify and simplify traffic movements. (Summer)

   East Fordham Rd, Washington Ave to Southern Blvd, Fordham: Corridor safety improvements.  (Summer)

Queens
   Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards, multiple neighborhoods:  Addition of Select Bus Service for Q52 and Q53 routes; numerous pedestrian and corridor safety improvements (Spring)

   Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica: Major Vision Zero pedestrian and school safety project with new pedestrianislands (Spring)

   23rd Ave and Corporal Kennedy Blvd, Bay Terrace -- Complex intersection redesign that will create simpler, safer pedestrian crossings and clearer vehicle traffic patterns. (Spring)

Manhattan
   5th Avenue, 23rd to Washington Sq Park, Flatiron & Greenwich Village: Protected bike lanes (Spring)

   Broadway, West 155th to West 170th St, Hamilton Heights & Washington Heights: Traffic calming project based on the recommendations from the Washington Heights Transportation Study. Improvements include new pedestrian space, shorter safer crossings, new markings to clarify vehicle movements, and signal timing changes to improve traffic flow. (Spring)

   Centre St, Park Row, Lower Manhattan: Smaller sister project to Tillary-Adams improving bike and pedestrian connections to Brooklyn Bridge, including a new 2-way protected bike lane in front of City Hall (Spring)

Staten Island
   Greeley Ave, Midland Park: New York City's first-ever neighborhood traffic circles will be added to increase safety and deter speeding in a residential neighborhood (Spring)

   Van Duzer St, Targee St, and St. Pauls Ave, Stapleton: Approximately 5 miles of bicycle lanes to link together the neighborhoods of Tompkinsville, Stapleton, Concord and Park Hill on Staten Island.  In addition to creating a bicycle link to the ferry, the project will calm traffic, add parking, and create safe pedestrian crossings near schools. (Spring)

   Staten Island Ferry Improvements, St. George: Improves biking connections to the ferry. (Summer)

"Thanks to planners, designers, engineers and construction crews, DOT is looking forward to another banner year of street redesigns," said Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  " While traffic fatalities are increasing nationally, Nw York City is bucking those trends, with the last three years under Vision Zero the safest in our City's history. Under the leadership of the Mayor and with the hard work of our sister agencies, we will together continue to make progress."

“As we start 2017, the City continues to experience decreases in both crime and traffic fatalities,” said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “We welcome the early signs of success, yet we remain focused on both.”

About Vision Zero
In January 2017, after three successive years of declines in traffic fatalities, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced New York City would make an additional $400 million investment in Vision Zero – for a total of $1.6 billion over the next five years. DOT is implementing its most aggressive street redesign safety program, an increased investment in street redesign and traffic-calming measures citywide. Other Vision Zero changes announced by the Mayor include ensuring NYPD crossing guards at every post, faster replacement of street markings, intersection upgrades in the bike-lane network, more left-turn calming efforts, brighter lighting and more equipment at each police precinct to catch speeding.

For more information about the de Blasio Administrations Vision Zero initiative, please seewww.nyc.gov/visionzero

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