After two years of declining traffic fatalities under Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero initiative, the human toll of New York City's car-centric streets looks like it will not lessen in 2016.
Cyclist deaths have already surpassed last year's total, and pedestrian fatalities are also on track to rise, according to city data. Total traffic deaths will either hold steady or change by a percentage point or two. With a few days left in the year, it's clear that New York has not kept up the pace of improvement needed to achieve the mayor's goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2024.
To be sure, there were successes in 2016, with DOT implementing several major street redesigns as well as new types of targeted low-cost interventions. These projects will save lives, but City Hall isn't acting decisively enough to bring these safety benefits to every neighborhood and every street.
This was the first year since 2012 that the city did not expand its automated speed enforcement program. With Governor Cuomo and Albany legislators letting speed camera legislation die in the state capitol, de Blasio needed to redouble the city's street redesign efforts.
Instead, City Hall and DOT let the outcome of too many street safety projects be determined by people whose number one concern is motor vehicle throughput and plentiful on-street parking. Despite the occasional mayoral override of cranky community board members, it remains common for projects to get watered down or delayed to avoid ruffling feathers.
This year de Blasio also refused to acknowledge that the city needs to allocate more resources to implement street redesigns at the pace called for by Vision Zero. In November, the mayor said advocates who have urged him to increase the DOT street redesign budget are trying to "justify their role."
NYPD, meanwhile, has yet to demonstrate a coherent citywide strategy to reduce reckless driving. Enforcement levels and priorities vary from precinct to precinct, with vulnerable street users a favored target for many commands. Police remain alarmingly predisposed to blame the victim after a fatal crash.
New Police Commissioner James O'Neill announced stepped-up enforcement of dangerous driving violations in the fall, and traffic deaths have declined in the months since then. The improvement since September could be random fluctuation or something to build on in 2017. For the public to gain a better understanding, NYPD has to be more forthcoming with data on how, where, and when police issue traffic summonses. Without that information, there is no way to assess the effectiveness of the department's traffic enforcement efforts.
Here is our accounting of New York City pedestrians and cyclists known to have lost their lives to motorists in 2016. In the comments, please share remembrances of those named here, and the names and stories of victims we missed.
- Derrick Belton, 44, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Gwendolyn Booker, 50, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Mary Lou Cerqua, 73, Killed Walking in Staten Island (Streetsblog)
- Anna Colon, 73, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Jose Contreras, 63, Killed Walking in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Olga Evgleska Cook, 30, Killed Cycling in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Doniqueca Cooke, 21, Killed Walking in Queens (News)
- Christopher Costa, 36, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Sean Crume, 45, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Mary Alice D’Amico, 76, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Mariam Dansoko, 3, Killed Walking in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Carol Dauplaise, 77, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Gothamist)
- Lauren Davis, 34, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Alfiya Djuraeva , 56, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Vincent Downing, 85, Killed Walking in Manhattan (News)
- Andrew Esquivel, 21, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Ralph Fino, 65, Killed Walking in the Bronx (News 12)
- Antonio Flores, 59, Killed Cycling in Queens (Chron)
- Kenya Flores, 44, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Gothamist)
- Noah Goldstein, 21, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Rodney Graham, 49, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- James Gregg, 33, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Jean Paul Guerrero, 39, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Marie Guido, 92, Killed Walking in the Bronx (DNA)
- Abrehet Hagos, 50, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Richard Headley, 80, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Dorothy Heimann, 90, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Joseph Hippolite, 85, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (News)
- Krystyna Iwanowicz, 64, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (News)
- Jing Yin Jiang, 59, Killed Cycling in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Jack Koval, 22, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Gothamist)
- Andrea Kremen, 68, Killed Walking in Manhattan (News)
- Bella Krementsova, 58, Killed Walking in Manhattan (News)
- Dominick Lamboy, 26, Killed Walking in Staten Island (Advance)
- Jun Hiu Liu, 70, Killed Walking in Queens (PIX)
- Heather Lough, 29, Killed Cycling in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Can Reng Ma, 54, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Delmer Maldonado, 41, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- George Mamales, 85, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Savas Maounis, 88, Killed Walking in Queens (News)
- Jazmine Marin, 13, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Nuesa Marques-Diniz, 68, Killed Walking in Manhattan (News)
- Stanley Marshall, 59, Killed Cycling in Staten Island (Advance)
- Teresa Martinelli, 79, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Thomas McAnulty, 73, Killed Walking in Manhattan (News)
- Jodi McGrath, 55, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Dian McLean, 54, Killed Walking in Queens (Queens Trib)
- Maria Minchala, 63, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Terrence Montrose, 26, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Maria Munez-Carna, 57, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Mary Jo Myszelow, 76, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Po Chu Ng, 52, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Giovanni Nin, 26, Killed Cycling in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Roberts Nukheimra, 29, Killed Walking in Queens (News)
- Richard Oates, 32, Killed Skateboarding in Manhattan (Gothamist)
- Antonietta Orlando, 72, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Blanca Pagan, 73, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- David Pajarito-Mendez, 38, Killed Walking in the Bronx (News)
- Smajlaj Pashke, 77, Killed Walking in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Francis Perez, 28, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Barney Pinkney, 63, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Carmen Puello, 43, Killed Walking in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Lin Qinyun, 64, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Navraj Raju, 8 months, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Sean Ryan, 17, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Patch)
- Angel Sagardia, 47, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Orlando Savino, 72, Killed Walking in the Bronx (News)
- Michael Schenkman, 78, Killed Cycling in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Maria Serrano, 50, Killed Walking in Staten Island (Streetsblog)
- Besik Shengelia, 48, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Arline Smeal, 80, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Alexa Smith, 16, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Martin Smith, 50, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Sharon Smith, 62, Killed Walking in the Bronx (Streetsblog)
- Lee Strong, 83, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Leah Sylvain, 27, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Chooi Tan, 51, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (News)
- Rodney Tavarez, 18, Killed Skateboarding in Queens (News)
- Israel Turicos, 56, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Nancy Ventura, 61, Killed Walking in Queens (Streetsblog)
- Matthew von Ohlen, 35, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn (Streetsblog)
- Gerald Walpin, 84, Killed Walking in Manhattan (NYT)
- Moshe Yide Weiner, 21, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (DNA)
- Yiru Weng, 67, Killed Walking in Brooklyn (News)
- Yuenei Wu, 67, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Jorge Zepeda, 35, Killed Walking in the Bronx (News)
- Gen Zhan, 81, Killed Walking in Manhattan (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, 46, Killed Walking in Manhattan on January 30 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Female, Killed Walking in Brooklyn on February 3 (News)
- Unnamed Male, 33, Killed Walking in the Bronx on February 28 (Gothamist)
- Unnamed Male, 41, Killed Walking in the Bronx on February 28 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, 57, Killed Walking in Queens on April 5 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, 43, Killed Walking in Queens on May 8 (News)
- Unnamed Male, Killed Cycling in Brooklyn on May 9 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, 23, Killed Walking in the Bronx on July 11 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, Killed Cycling in Queens on September 6 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Male, 79, Killed Walking in Queens on October 16 (News)
- Unnamed Male, 46, Killed Walking in Queens on November 4 (QNS)
- Unnamed Male, 54, Killed Walking in Brooklyn on December 6 (Streetsblog)
- Unnamed Female, 65, Killed Cycling in Manhattan on Dec. 15 (Streetsblog)
