DOT

Eyes on the Street: Don’t Drive Like a Maniac

It's that time of year: DOT is breaking out electronic signage at dangerous locations throughout the city, warning drivers to slow down and obey the speed limit. Speeding was the top cause of traffic deaths in New York City last year.

By Stephen Miller

3:37 PM EDT on May 16, 2013

This sign on Park Avenue in Clinton Hill is one of 11 displays DOT puts out citywide warning drivers to obey the speed limit. Photo: Stephen Miller

It’s that time of year: DOT is breaking out electronic signage at dangerous locations throughout the city, warning drivers to slow down and obey the speed limit. Speeding was the top cause of traffic deaths in New York City last year.

The first electronic sign installed this year went in at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, where Martha Atwater was killed on the sidewalk by a curb-jumping driver.

A sign has also gone up on eastbound Park Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street in Clinton Hill, where drivers have been clocked speeding as fast as 53 mph. The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership has been working with community groups and elected officials on a pedestrian safety plan. One of the early results is that DOT will be installing more street lights on Park Avenue, according to News 12 Brooklyn. The plan also includes a number of physical infrastructure recommendations — no word on those yet, although DOT will be removing a few parking spots at intersections to improve visibility.

DOT will be installing 11 of these electronic signs and rotating them monthly throughout the city. It looks like this year, the signs have all been set to display the correct citywide speed limit, which is 30 mph.

Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

DOT | Eyes on the Street | Street Safety

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