Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Pedestrian safety

City Council Unanimously Passes Bill to Expand Pedestrians’ Right of Way

By David Meyer | Sep 14, 2016 | 52 Comments

The City Council voted to expand pedestrians’ right of way today, unanimously supporting Intro 997-A, Public Advocate Letitia James’ proposal to bolster legal protections for people in crosswalks. The legislation is expected to be enacted by the mayor, with DOT and NYPD having both endorsed it. Currently, pedestrians who cross the street when signals are flashing a red […]

The Missing Piece in DOT’s Left-Turn Safety Plan: Real Split-Phase Signals

By Brad Aaron | Aug 9, 2016 | 13 Comments

Split-phase traffic signals protect pedestrians and cyclists by separating them from turning drivers — people walking and biking across the street get their own signal phase, and drivers turning into the crosswalk get another. Research indicates that split-phase signals are highly effective at preventing traffic injuries and deaths. But when DOT revealed its strategy to reduce crashes caused by left-turning […]

DOT Reveals a Flatbush Ave Pedestrian Safety Plan By Atlantic and Fourth

By David Meyer | Aug 4, 2016 | 30 Comments

Last night DOT presented its initial concept for pedestrian safety improvements near the convergence of Flatbush, Atlantic, and Fourth avenues in Brooklyn [PDF]. The intersection is located at the center of Brooklyn’s largest transit hub, where the Long Island Railroad meets eight subway lines and four MTA bus routes. The Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Barclays […]

Tonight: Speak Up for Safer Crossings at Flatbush/Atlantic/Fourth

By David Meyer | Aug 3, 2016 | 7 Comments

A DOT public workshop tonight aims to get the ball rolling on safety improvements at the monstrous intersections where Flatbush, Atlantic, and Fourth avenues converge. At a meeting in January, Barclays Center developer Forest City Ratner showed a proposal for benches, tables, and planters in Times Plaza — the pedestrian island in the middle of Atlantic, Flatbush and […]

DOT Lays Out a Strategy to Make Left Turns Less Dangerous

By David Meyer | Aug 3, 2016 | 28 Comments

DOT will be ramping up the use of intersection treatments to protect pedestrians and cyclists from left-turning drivers, the agency announced today. The initiative is paired with a DOT study, “Don’t Cut Corners” [PDF], that illustrates the disproportionate danger of left turns. Mayor de Blasio had announced in January that reducing the risk of left turns […]

Wider Sidewalks Coming to Flushing’s Crowded Main Street

By David Meyer | Jul 19, 2016 | 9 Comments

Main Street in Flushing gets more foot traffic than anywhere else in New York after Times Square, but its sidewalks are too narrow to handle all those people. So later this month, the city will begin expanding the sidewalks on four blocks of Main Street, Council Member Peter Koo, DOT, and the Department of Design and […]

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