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Thursday’s Headlines: Teach Your Adults Well Edition

It's time for the annual "Dusk and Darkness" campaign, but drivers should be careful all year. Plus other news.

Photo: Samiris Feliz|

The winning PSA featured amazing production and great hip hop lyrics.

Every year, we kinda downplay the city's "Dusk and Darkness" motorist safety campaign because, frankly, drivers are horrible all the time, regardless of the changing time of the nightly sunset. We'd rather the city spend its money on redesigning streets and seizing cars.

But every year, the Department of Transportation solicits kids to make PSA-style videos to get drivers to slow the fuck down and pay attention. This year's winner — made by seventh graders from IS59 in Jamaica and directed by Samiris Feliz — deserves your viewing for its quality and effective messaging:

And one of the second-place videos — made by fifth graders from PS 211 in Queens — also caught our eye.

In other news from a slow day:

  • Another New Jersey lawmaker has sued to stop congestion pricing. Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich's suit (filed with Fort Lee resident Richard Galler) argues that not enough study was done, when, in fact, intense study was done. (NYDN, Gothamist)
  • We were happy to see some coverage of the DOT/EDC's request for expressions of interest for moving more freight by water. The RFEI follows earlier coverage by Streetsblog. (NYDN)
  • Don't forget the marathon on Sunday. Here's the Times's guide.
  • Public Advocate Jumaane Williams put out a report yesterday highlighting how badly the MTA does on accessibility. (amNY)
  • The group opposing a street safety plan on McGuinness Boulevard put out a great video yesterday. Unfortunately for the group, all it did was highlight how dangerous and scary McGuinness Boulevard is ... and how badly it needs to be redesigned.
  • Hey, remember that time we sued DOT to get the license plate numbers of people who took the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program safety course? Well, we won (let that be a lesson to all you reporters out there: Sue!)
  • Speaking of the now-expired Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program, I'll be discussing it at 7:30 this morning with Pat Kiernan on NY1. Tune in! I'll wear a clean shirt even.
It's a DVAP sunset.Graphic: Streetsblog Photoshop Desk

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