Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

New Bill Would Bring Crash Studies and Safety Improvements

An aide to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn sent this message late last week concerning new legislation that could bring improvements to dangerous locations for pedestrians and cyclists:

Dear Neighbor,

The New York City Council's Transportation Committee will be voting on a bill on Wednesday March 12th requiring the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to study and make improvements at dangerous locations. In an effort to address recent incidents of pedestrian and bicyclists fatalities, the Council has been working with the DOT to study these accident locations and to make safety improvements where necessary. This bill would require the DOT to conduct the following three types of safety analysis at traffic accident sites to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety:

Annual Safety Audits of Pedestrian Accident Locations: DOT would be required to report its findings to the local community board and council member whose district the accident location is located.

Safety inspections at locations exhibiting a pattern of pedestrian and/or bicyclist accidents: DOT would be required to act upon the safety recommendations from the inspections, if any, and to make the results of its inspections and recommendations, if any, available to the public upon request.

Comprehensive study of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries: DOT would be required to submit the study to the Council and Mayor.

Please feel to reach me at the office if you have further questions.

Some of these measures have been brewing for about a year now, at least. They were brought up at a contentious transpo committee hearing last April by Chairman John Liu, who seemed visibly frustrated that the (pre-Sadik-Khan) DOT appeared to have no set strategies for reducing, or even tallying, pedestrian injuries and fatalities. At that time, DOT reps said the agency was working on its first ever comprehensive study of pedestrian casualties, to be completed by year's end. DOT has not responded to repeated requests from Streetsblog regarding the status of the study.

Note: Advocates are already suggesting that the term "accident" be replaced by "crash."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Chaos’ Candidate? DoorDash Gave $1M to Super PAC Backing Cuomo, Who Decries Delivery Workers

Cuomo says he'll fix the chaos on the Streets by reining in app companies, but DoorDash just donated $1 million to help him win.

May 13, 2025

The Dave Colon Challenge: Whitney Tilson Is Pro-Bike, Pro-Business And Pro-Police

The political novice has 30 years experience cycling in the city but doesn't have a political record to help predict what his safe streets governance strategy would be.

May 13, 2025

Can New York City Fix Its Deadly ‘Conduit’ to JFK Airport?

The extra-wide medians on Conduit could fit 46 football fields, which combined with extra-wide travel lanes makes the strip prone to speeding and crashes.

May 13, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Bike Your Mayor to Work Day

It's the final day of our mayoral questionnaire week. Plus other news from a busy day!

May 13, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: ‘We Speak English in America’ Edition

Read that talk bubble. That's really what the cop said to a man under arrest. Plus other news from a busy weekend.

May 12, 2025
See all posts