Council seeks to improve seniors’ safety

Hoping to reduce the amount of traffic fatalities among senior citizens, the City Council’s Committee on Transportation, chaired by Councilman Liu, and the Committee on Aging, led by Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo, convened over a joint hearing to consider legislation.
The committees reviewed two bills: Intro 125, sponsored by Councilman Michael Nelson, intended to implement speed reduction signs within one block of any senior citizen center or naturally occurring retirement community (NORC).
Also proposed was Intro 217, sponsored by Councilman Vincent Gentile, which would mandate improved demarcations and signage at all pedestrian crosswalks.
“Our seniors represent one-sixth of the City’s population, yet account for one-third of all traffic fatalities,” Liu said. “This incongruity must be addressed with increased efforts to protect the safety of our seniors, who increasingly use our sidewalks to maintain their independence and mobility. We need to implement better traffic management, including improved signage at crosswalks, as well as try out new technology such as pedestrian countdown traffic signals to reduce accidents.”
Safe Routes for Seniors, the Transportation Alternatives project, discovered half of those who walk to senior center activities in northern Manhattan do not have enough time to cross streets near the centers. Many seniors have no means of transportation other than walking. The signage required by Intro 125 would ensure the safety of seniors walking to senior centers by warning motorists of the large number of senior citizens in the area.
The Department of Transportation (DOT), however, wasn’t in favor of the bills. “While the intent of this bill is admirable, DOT does not support it,” said DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall Schumer. “Decisions to implement safety improvements - whether it is signage, traffic signals, markings - should continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.”
Chairperson del Carmen Arroyo countered, saying, “Council Members are on the frontlines of our communities and we are responding to legitimate complaints from many New Yorkers, including many senior citizens who tell us they are in danger when crossing streets in our City. … We urge the administration to reconsider your opposition to these much-needed pedestrian safety bills.”