NYC DOT Enhances Pedestrian Safety at More Than 300 Locations Leading Into the Heart of Its Construction Season

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

NYC DOT Enhances Pedestrian Safety at More Than 300 Locations Leading Into the Heart of Its Construction Season

Agency Ahead of Pace to 'Daylight' at Least 1,000 Locations by the End of This Year's Construction Season, Improving Visibility by Removing Obstructions Near Intersections

As New York City Public School Students Go Back to School, NYC DOT Showcases the Many Locations Near Schools

Figure 1: Graphic showing a street before and after daylighting

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi today announced the agency has improved visibility for pedestrians at more than 300 locations through a tool known as 'daylighting.' Daylighting enhances safety, by removing visibility-blocking obstructions, such as parked vehicles near intersections, so drivers more easily see pedestrians and other road users at these critical junctures. The agency is ahead of pace to complete this work by the end of this year's construction season this fall and meet Mayor Eric Adams's goal to add daylighting to 1,000 locations in 2024. The agency has already completed 300 locations, with the remaining 700 in various stages of development ranging from near completion to site finalization. Officials made the announcement Tuesday at Audubon Avenue and West 169th Street next to P.S. 128 and P.S. 513 in Washington Heights, two of 127 schools where nearby daylighting has been installed ahead of the start of the school year. The daylighting at Audubon Avenue and West 169th Street is part of NYC DOT's street redesign project from West 168th Street to West 170th Street. With seven schools within a five-minute walk of the project, the new design will reduce speeding, improve visibility, and help protect thousands of school children as they make their way to and from the classroom during the new school year.

Intersections pose a unique safety challenge in New York City. Crashes at intersections typically comprise 51 percent of all fatalities and 68 percent of all injuries in a year. For pedestrians, the dangers are more pronounced: 59 percent of pedestrian fatalities and 77 percent of pedestrian traffic injuries occur at intersections.

"As students return to classrooms, we want to remind everyone to be careful when crossing intersections. Daylighting enhances safety for pedestrians by reducing drivers' blind spots and giving everyone a better view of the intersection," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "This first wave of locations is only the beginning, and we look forward to improving visibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike at even more intersections across the city."

"Safety is not only critical inside the classroom, but also as students move about their communities and travel to and from school," said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. "I'm grateful to the Department of Transportation for prioritizing this important initiative for the well-being of our kids, and all New Yorkers."

Locations that have Received Daylighting

A total of 314 locations were daylighted as of August 2024. Of these locations, 33 are in the Bronx, 45 are in Brooklyn, one is on the Brooklyn/Queens border, 36 are in Manhattan, 153 are in Queens, and 46 are on Staten Island. Nearly half of the locations were hardened with physical infrastructure like bike corrals, granite blocks, or turn calming using rubber speed bumps. The initial list of locations that have received daylighting is available on our website. Locations were selected based on a variety of factors, including crash data, cycling and micro-mobility demand, equity, and study testing conditions.

NYC DOT's construction period falls between mid-April and mid-November, with much of the work happening in the fall. Work is weather dependent, and the agency is ahead of pace to meet or exceed the committed target.

Audubon Avenue School Safety Improvements
Improved Visibility at Audubon Avenue (West 168 Street to West 170 Street)

Before

[Link] Figure 2: Rendering of Audubon Avenue before safety project was installed

After

[Link] Figure 3: Rendering of Audubon Avenue after safety project was installed

NYC DOT added sidewalk extensions to 10 corners of Audubon Avenue, from West 168 Street to West 170 Street through painted sidewalk extensions that are reinforced with bicycle parking and concrete and granite blocks. The redesign adds new pedestrian space, shortens the time it takes the cross the street, and naturally slows turning drivers to improve safety for everyone on the corridor. The agency plans to continue this work to for additional blocks on Audubon Avenue during phase two. NYC DOT is also proposing to reduce the speed limit to 20 miles per hour along Audubon Avenue from West 165 Street to Fore George Avenue as part of the implementation of Sammy's Law, which was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year.

Accelerating Intersection Improvements & Slowing Turns

The Adams administration has made intersections a priority for street safety improvements. In January 2022, Mayor Adams announced a plan to make 1,000 intersections safer in one year with design improvements like improved traffic signals, raised crosswalks, and other expanded pedestrian space and visibility measures. The administration exceeded that goal two months ahead of schedule, ultimately completing improvements at 1,400 intersections in 2022.

In 2023, the administration doubled that initial goal and is making safety improvements at 2,000 intersections with design improvements like raised crosswalks, extended sidewalks, and leading pedestrian signals. Of those intersections, 1,000 locations will receive daylighting treatments to enhance visibility along with design upgrades to slow down turning vehicles. NYC DOT will meet both goals by the end of the year.

This target represents a dramatic expansion of daylighting. Daylighting is a recommended tool in the National Association of City Transportation Officials' Urban Design Guide.

"Far too many New Yorkers' lives have been taken by preventable traffic violence," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "Street safety strategies like daylighting our intersections are proven to protect people and families, and it's long overdue for them to become the standard in New York City. I'm so glad that Mayor Adams and NYC DOT have set their eyes on accelerating street safety projects at our intersections, and I am thrilled that they're ahead of schedule on their thousand-intersection goal."

"Today's announcement is great news for all those who use our city's streets," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "We must build upon this momentum by daylighting even more intersections and by taking other steps to make our streets safer. I will continue my efforts to promote street safety by calling for lower speed limits, more Open Streets, and bike lane expansion. I'm proud to already have allocated more than $8 million toward such safety projects during my tenure as borough president, and we will not rest until traffic fatalities in our city become a thing of the past."

"It's a fact that daylighting intersections dramatically reduces traffic violence and saves lives, and we commend Commissioner Rodriguez and the Department of Transportation for being on track to meet the mayor's ambitious goal of daylighting 1,000 intersections, said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New York. "We look forward to DOT continuing to prioritize roadway safety by using every tool at its disposal to implement safer street designs in every neighborhood across the city."

"I'm proud to stand with DOT Commissioner Rodríguez and Superintendent Martinez as we celebrate the progress of daylighting intersections here at P.S. 128 and P.S. 513," said Sofia Russo, member of Families for Safe Streets. "As a mom who lost her daughter to reckless driving, I know how important street safety improvements like this are. I look forward to DOT reaching its goal of daylighting 1000 intersections and exceeding that to make our streets safe."

"For decades, Transportation Alternatives has been fighting to daylight every intersection in New York City," said Elizabeth Adams, interim co-executive director of Transportation Alternatives. "Today's announcement is a critical step forwards to that goal, and we're so thankful to our city's leaders - as well as everyone at Families for Safe Streets, our nonprofit partners, and all our activists on the ground - for championing these critical safety upgrades. Daylighting saves lives, and we know the changes made today will protect countless New Yorkers walking, biking, or driving through our city for years to come. As we celebrate today's announcement, we will also keep working until every intersection is daylit, every street is safe, and everyone can travel safely throughout New York City."

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