We were happy — and also a little sad — to see the the Department of Transportation had revived its "We’re Walking Here” competition, in which school kids make public service announcements designed to highlight pedestrian safety.
We were happy because, as has long been stated, kids say the darnedest things. Like this winning PSA from a the 2014-15 school year:
That's a great video and those kids from the Corona Arts & Sciences Academy in Queens should be proud.
But we were a bit sad, too, because it's sad whenever kids have to advocate for drivers to stop killing and injuring them in school zones because they're distracted or simply reckless. Yes, Streetsblog reported last year that school streets present unique dangers to kids — with lots more crashes than non-school streets — but it's a little depressing to think that kids have to be the ones demanding their own parents keep them safe.
It's not that we don't admire videos like these — we do — but they do make you think, "What kind of a world is this?"
Still, we want to help the DOT get the word out, because the contest is definitely a way to get the public engaged and talking about this vital issue. Interested schools should register as soon as possible to participate in this year’s competition by visiting the DOT website here. The deadline for registering to make a video is Friday Feb. 17 and all videos must be submitted by March 31.
Good luck, kids (and not only in the contest!).
In other news:
- Is Mayor Adams considering letting city workers work from home? It would be a big change in policy, reports Crain's.
- Speed camera opponent Tom Wrobleski is once again on the wrong side of safety history. (SI Advance)
- A man who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in The Bronx on Dec. 20 has died — and local press coverage barely acknowledged that the driver who killed him has not been caught. Would the local media be so lackadaisical if someone had been fatally shot yet the shooter remained at large? (NYDN)
- In a related story, the Daily News offered an update about another person who was struck by a hit-and-run driver who was severely injured and will never be the same. The driver in the August crash was finally caught last week.
- The new subway cars are here! The new subway cars are here! (NYDN, NY Post, the City)
- An off-duty cop drove drunk and slammed into several cars, cops say (NY Post). And an off-duty firefighter was also collared for nipping and driving (NY Post).
- The Post doesn't like our bean compared to the one in Chicago.
- But Hell Gate loves the renovated MTA bathrooms.
- It's Monday, so please welcome David Meyer back to Streetsblog after a stint at the New York Post. David starts today as Deputy Editor and can be reached at dmeyer@streetsblog.org.
- And, finally, here's today's news-you-can-use infographic:
How much of New York City's on-street parking does outdoor dining use anyway? To make things concrete, I put together a little visual🎨 pic.twitter.com/eCajnpYSMJ
— Dominic Sonkowsky 辛文力 (@d_sonkowsky) February 5, 2023
