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

Most Council Members Want DOT’s Routine Paving Projects to Incorporate Safer Street Designs

Image: TransAlt

A majority of the City Council has signed on to support the proposition that whenever DOT repaves a street, it should add design and engineering elements that make walking and biking safer.

A total of 27 council members have endorsed Transportation Alternatives' "Vision Zero Street Design Standard," which calls on DOT to maximize the use of 10 elements from the agency's own Street Design Manual. Though not every street is appropriate for all 10 -- which include bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and wider sidewalks -- TransAlt recommends that DOT incorporate as many as possible whenever a street is repaved.

Since DOT resurfaces about 1,000 lane-miles of streets every year, but most paving projects currently just replicate the existing street design, the effect would be to greatly accelerate the implementation of safety improvements. The support of a City Council majority also gives the agency more political leeway to make changes during repaving projects without getting bogged down in the community board process.

From a TransAlt press release:

Street redesign projects are often subject to a lengthy political processes and can take years to complete. But the Vision Zero Street Design Standard calls for a quicker, less expensive protocol for fixing dangerous streets by integrating safety improvements as part of regularly scheduled resurfacing. These improvements could be made using low-cost materials like paint and plastic bollards, or through retiming signals and implementing leading pedestrian intervals.

Since council members wield a lot of influence over street projects in their respective districts, majority support for the design principles laid out by TransAlt is a big deal.

“If we’re going to reach Vision Zero by 2024, then we need to take advantage of these regularly scheduled projects,” said TransAlt Executive Director Paul White in a statement, “adding elements that slow drivers and establish safe rights of way for people on bikes and on foot.”

Transportation chair Ydanis Rodriguez plans to back up the council's endorsement with legislation, according to TransAlt. We have a message in with Rodriguez for details.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Judge Orders Trump to Restore $34M in Security Funding to MTA

DHS overstepped its authority when it attempted to tie money from the Transit Security Grant Program to the Trump administration's efforts to deport immigrants, Judge Lewis Kaplan said.

October 16, 2025

Friday Video: Drool Over This London School Street

That's cricket! Check out how London transformed a roadway around a big stadium into a play street.

October 16, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Gateway ‘Terminator’ Edition

President Trump abruptly announced he'd "terminated" the Gateway Tunnel project while taking aim at Chuck Schumer. Plus more news.

October 16, 2025

Trump’s Electrification Cuts are Short-Sighted: Report

EV infrastructure is far more valuable to the nation's prosperity and jobs market than the White House believes, according to a new report.

October 16, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Highway Boondoggle Erased Edition

Maybe the worm has turned on these awful boondoggles? Plus other news.

October 15, 2025

Book Excerpt Special: ‘War on Cars’ Hosts Explore Life After the Automobile

...and why it's so urgent that we work for a better future.

October 15, 2025
See all posts