Package To Make Streets Safer
Within the days ahead, Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign a package of traffic and pedestrian safety bills and resolutions the City Council overwhelmingly passed during its stated meeting last Thursday, May 29, at City Hall.
“From curbing speeding to holding dangerous drivers accountable, these bills are a major step forward for our Vision Zero initiative,” de Blasio said in a statement, referring to the Vision Zero initiative to institute street safety and enforcement measures on the city’s roadways and reduce fatal accidents. “They will protect families and make our neighborhoods safer.”
“This comprehensive legislative package will make our streets safer and save countless lives,” added City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, who sponsored two resolutions in the package passed last Thursday. “Through stricter traffic regulations and enforcement, New Yorkers will think twice before breaking the rules.”
Crowley’s Resolution 6 call upon the state legislature and governor to increase penalties against reckless drivers involved in accidents resulting in serious injury or death of another individual. Additionally, her Resolution 51 also seeks tougher state penalties against drivers who leave the scene of accidents without properly reporting them to authorities.
Other items in the City Council’s Vision Zero Action Plan legislative package are as follows:
– Intro No. 46, which requires the city Department of Transportation (DOT) to repair missing or damaged traffic signals within 48 hours of receiving notification. It also permits the DOT to use alternative traffic control measures should the repair or replacement take longer than 24 hours.
– Intro No. 80 requires the DOT to review safety guidelines of bridge workers.
– Intro. No. 140 requires the DOT to establish at least seven “Neighborhood Slow Zones” over the next two years. Each slow zone would institute a 20 mph speed limit and include the installation of speed humps where necessary. The law also mandates that the DOT set up school speed zones at 50 locations each year.
– Intro. No. 167 targets motorists who perform “stunt behavior” on the streets, such as wheelies, donuts, burnouts and revving. First violations would result in a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a $600 fine, with jail time and financial penalties increasing for subsequent charges over the next decade.
– Intro. No. 171 would authorize the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to suspend any licensed driver who receives summonses for one or more moving violations or is involved in accident resulting in serious injuries or death stemming from moving violations. Upon the conviction of one or more violations that were a cause of critical injury or death, the TLC license would be revoked.
– Intro. No. 174 requires the TLC to review and investigate vehicles and drivers involved in any accident resulting in critical injury or death, regardless of cause or fault.
– Intro. No. 238 institutes new penalties for drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists who have the right of way. For a first offense, the driver could be hit with a $50 fine and/or 15 days in jail, with elevated charges and penalties for subsequent violations.
– Intro. No. 272 would aggregate points issued by the TLC and state Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of suspending or revoking licenses from drivers who found to be repeatedly driving recklessly.
– Intro. No. 277 mandates that the TLC quarterly report to the city Council the specific type of vehicle involved in every crash, as well as the number of accidents resulting in critical injury or death.
– Intro. No. 43 requires the DOT study accidents resulting from left turns. According to a 2012 DOT study, left turn crashes outnumbered rightturncrashesbya3to1margin.
– Resolution 68 calls on the state legislature and governor to approve increased penalties fro driving on the sidewalk.
– Resolution 117 asks the state legislature and governor to grant New York City authority over the speed light camera program.
– Resolution 118 asks the state legislature to grant New York City homerule over the red light camera program.
– Resolution 144 urges the state legislature and governor to authorize a law to create a misdemeanor charge for a driver who injures a pedestrian or bicyclist while failing to “exercise due care” on the street.
