Another senseless pedestrian accident on “The Boulevard of Death.”
Another innocent life lost.
Another family grieving for the unnecessary death of a loved one.
I don't need to tell you that Queens Boulevard deserves its nickname.
The potential for pedestrian fatalities on the portion which runs through my Senate District is particularly disturbing as the 16th S.D. has one of the highest proportions of elderly constituents of all Senate districts.
Nearly one out of five of my constituents is 65 years of age or older. I don't want to lose any of them.
In 2003, the International Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported that people 70 years of age and older suffered about twice as many pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people as younger groups.
Statistics show that New York City experiences by far the greatest annual number of fatalities from auto crashes. Even more alarmingly, nearly half of these casualties are pedestrians. No other major metropolitan area approaches that ratio of pedestrians to total crash fatalities. The national average is usually one pedestrian fatality out of every 10 total crash deaths.
The installation of pedestrian countdown signals which feature timers alerting pedestrians to the amount of time they have left to cross the street safely have been shown to significantly reduce pedestrian fatalities. They are only slightly more expensive than a standard “Walk/Don't Walk” signal.
According to the IIHS, these signals have been shown to reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians at urban intersections. A Minnesota Department of Transportation study found that these signals led to greater street crossing success, especially among senior citizens.
Since December 2005, when I reached out to the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, I have been working for the installation of pedestrian countdown signals along Queens Boulevard.
My legislation to provide these signals was introduced in the State Senate in February. Assemblymember Nettie Mayersohn introduced the identical bill to mine in that house. Additionally, in May, Councilmember John Liu proposed a pilot program to start installing pedestrian countdown traffic signal technology in select areas in New York City. The legislation has widespread support among legislators and citizens. It just makes sense.
A countdown signal pilot program, like the one announced on Thursday, November 2, is a relatively low-cost way to begin making our streets safer for the millions of residents and tourists who walk here everyday. It is imperative that we do all we can to keep New York safe for both drivers and pedestrians. We have an obligation to the people in New York to make pedestrian safety a priority and countdown signals will help.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky represents the 16th Senate District in New York City.
