Sunday, 24 Nov 2024

Pedestrians will get a head start at over 300 NYC intersections

The city will give pedestrians a head start to cross the street at over 300 intersections after learning the locations are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatalities.

“We know where the problem streets are,” Mayor de Blasio said at a press conference Tuesday announcing the expansion of his Vision Zero program to reduce traffic-related deaths.

“Only about 7 percent of the streets in New York City account for nearly half the fatalities,” he said.

In Manhattan the dangerous corridors include Columbus Avenue from Ninth Avenue to Morningside Drive, York Avenue from Sutton Place to the FDR, and Tenth Avenue from West to 59th streets.

By the end of the year the Department of Transportation plans to install new signals that will show a walk sign for pedestrians for several seconds before switching to a green light for traffic.

The head start allows pedestrians more time to cross the street before cars make turns through the crosswalk.

Pedestrian fatalities have plunged by 36 percent since 2015, but last month saw an uptick in traffic deaths.

There were nine more traffic fatalities in January compared to the same period last year.

The mayor called the increase “troubling” and said, “We’re taking measures to immediately address that.”

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