Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Community Boards

DOT to Daylight All Left Turns on Lexington Avenue in Midtown

Daylighting intersections by removing a parking space increases visibility, making it safer to cross the street. Image: Streetfilms.

In last year's landmark pedestrian safety study, the Department of Transportation found that three times as many crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve left turns as right turns. To respond to the heightened danger of left-turning vehicles, DOT promised in its action plan to "daylight" all left turns on a major Manhattan avenue, removing parking spaces near the intersection to improve visibility.

At a meeting of Manhattan CB 6's transportation committee last night, DOT announced that it is ready to move forward with that plan, in a somewhat curtailed fashion, along a Midtown stretch of Lexington Avenue. Of all the one-way avenues in Manhattan, Lexington has the highest number of pedestrians hit by cars while crossing the street with the right-of-way, according to DOT. Two-thirds of those pedestrians were hit by drivers making a left turn.

The proposal would remove one or two parking spots near intersections on the east side of Lexington between 59th Street and 21st Street, a total of around 15 parking spaces.

DOT's Matthew Roe explained why left turns are so much more dangerous and why daylighting is a particularly effective tool for this problem. "It has to do with the position of the driver," he said. Because of the "A-pillar," the part of the car frame between the windshield and the driver's window, "the size of the blind spot is way larger on the left side of the vehicle than on the right side." Daylighting the left turns lets the driver see any pedestrians in the crosswalk from farther away, before the left-side blind spot is an issue.

The plan raised some hackles among committee members. "This whole concept is a prelude for a further encroachment on parking spaces for cars," argued committee chair Fred Arcaro. "Sooner or later you're going to see a plaza here."

When the committee voted on the project, however, it approved it 10-1. Most, apparently, agreed with committee member and left-turn crash victim Charles Buchwald, who called it "a simple and elegant solution to a real problem."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Fourth of July Hangover Edition

That Fourth of July lasts longer for some than others. Plus more news.

July 10, 2025

Brooklyn Judge Lets Eric Adams Rip Up Bedford Avenue Protected Bike Lane

The mayor's move to rip up the bike lane did not require advanced notification, Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo ruled.

Universal Daylighting Has Majority Support on the City Council — Will Speaker Adams Give It a Vote?

Adrienne Adams is sitting on a landmark daylighting bill that could make every intersection safer for pedestrians.

July 9, 2025
See all posts