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Why Does Rory Lancman Want to Save Drivers From “Scofflaw Pedestrians”?
City Council Member Rory Lancman wants to make it more difficult for NYPD to charge drivers who injure and kill people when, in his words, "accidents are caused by poor road conditions, bad weather and scofflaw pedestrians." But if anything, NYPD has been exceedingly cautious in applying the Right of Way Law when there's a chance the victim was not in a crosswalk.
May 20, 2015
Rory Lancman Will Introduce Bill to Hamstring NYPD Crash Investigators
City Council Member Rory Lancman thinks NYPD is playing fast and loose with the Right of Way Law, and he'll soon introduce a bill that would make it more difficult for police to apply it.
May 19, 2015
Can New York City Reform Its Dysfunctional Community Board System?
New York City's 59 community boards often serve as the sole venues where the public can assess and vet street design projects. But they are also structured in a way that inhibits any sort of change, giving de facto veto power over street improvements to a small clique who can serve for life.
May 1, 2015
City Council Regresses on Street Safety, Weighs Fines for Cyclists
Less than a year ago, the City Council overwhelmingly passed a raft of bills designed to protect New Yorkers from reckless driving. Was it the beginning of a new era, where street safety is taken seriously by city legislators, or was it a fluke? The council could go either way, based on a transportation committee hearing today that considered a new bill to fight the phantom menace of cyclists on cell phones.
April 15, 2015
These Are the Streets Projects Vying for Your Vote in Participatory Budgeting
On Saturday, polling places opened for participatory budgeting, which gives New Yorkers the opportunity to decide how to spend small pots of city capital funds on everything from schools to parks. Many of the projects up for a vote could yield safer streets and better public spaces for neighborhoods across the city.
April 13, 2015
Participatory Budgeting: Your Chance to Vote for Livable Streets
A record 24 City Council members have launched participatory budgeting efforts this year, giving local residents a say in how to spend a share of the council's discretionary capital funds. Starting last fall, volunteers and staff spent months refining proposals and suggestions. Council members are now releasing sample ballots so the public can learn more about the projects before voting for their favorites in the coming weeks.
March 25, 2015
Ben Kallos Won’t Talk About Why He Wants to Gut the Right of Way Law
On October 8, 2014, the driver of a Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation bus hit cyclist Anna Maria Moström while making a left turn. Moström was mortally injured. Two days later, a Coca-Cola truck driver hit an unidentified 86-year-old man in a crosswalk while turning from E. 96th Street onto Third Avenue. The senior died from his injuries. Both drivers reportedly failed to yield.
March 18, 2015
With Traffic Deaths Trending Downward, Lancman Attacks Right of Way Law
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told the City Council today that NYC traffic fatalities have continued to drop in 2015, but not every council member is pleased with the city's recent steps to deter dangerous driving.
March 12, 2015
The New York City Parking Rule That Makes Intersections More Dangerous
We've reported before how certain New York City parking rules are designed to cram a little more free car storage onto the street at the expense of pedestrian safety. In 2009, DOT removed parking restrictions on unmarked crosswalks at T intersections, and the city allows drivers with disability permits to block curb ramps that were intended to help pedestrians with disabilities cross the street.
February 27, 2015