By Bill Parry
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday he will expand the city’s five-year commitment to his Vision Zero initiative to $1.6 billion, dedicating more than $400 million in new resources for street redesign, street markings, lighting and other engineering improvements. He also plans to increase the number of NYPD crossing guards and increasing capacity of the NYPD to crack down on dangerous driving.
The new funding is part of the mayor’s $84.67 billion preliminary budget for the 12 months beginning in July, which he announced Tuesday.
“With three straight years of declining fatalities in New York City that are strongly countering national trends, Vision Zero has already made a difference in saving lives,” de Blasio said. “But we have said that we must always do more. Our proposed budget will allow us to keep kids safe around our schools and expand DOT’s most effective efforts to make our streets even safer.”
The increased funding would allow for 100 full-time school crossing Guard supervisors and 200 additional part-time school crossing guards to ensure 100 percent coverage at all school crossing posts citywide and create a mobile replacement squad to prevent posts from being empty. It would also expand Vision Zero capital funding for major street reconstruction and faster replacement and refurbishment of street markings and safer crosswalks citywide, among other measures.
“We commend Mayor de Blasio for expanding funding for the ongoing Vision Zero initiative, which has already improved safety on our roadways in Queens and throughout all five boroughs,” Borough President Melinda Katz said. “Our city is much safer thanks to the elements of the Vision Zero initiative that has been put in place, and increased investments would do even more to protect our children, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.”
Transportation Alternatives welcomed the news of increased funding.
“To reach the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2024, the city will need to move more quickly to redesign the most dangerous corridors and intersections,” TA Executive Director Paul Steely White said. “Along with bringing high-visibility markings and pedestrian safety improvements to four times as many intersections, this new funding will also allow the DOT to build more protected bike lanes.”
Other highlights of the mayor’s preliminary budget include $162 million over five years to mitigate flooding in southeast Queens, $147 million to repave 1,300 mile of roads, $5.2 million for bullet-proof window inserts in all NYPD cruisers and hundreds of millions of dollars to repair leaking roofs at NYCHA buildings citywide.
The mayor’s budget also includes adding 40,000 public school seats by 2025.
“Deepening the progress we’ve made over the last three years, this budget further invests in the foundations central to a strong, fair city — more classroom seats, enhanced traffic safety initiatives, crucial infrastructure upgrades and public safety progress,” de Blasio said. “At the same time, in the face of economic uncertainty from Washington, this budget once again will save money through efficiency measures and invest further in reserve funds at safeguarding our city’s financial future.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
