REMARKS
Council Member Restler's Proposal for Improved Sidewalk Lighting
1:01:36
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120 sec
Council Member Restler introduces a new bill focused on enhancing public safety and supporting local economies through better sidewalk lighting. This legislation aims to require the Department of Transportation to install pedestrian lighting on 50 commercial corridors annually, approximately 500 blocks, across all five boroughs. Restler highlights the issue of insufficient street lighting in commercial areas at night, pointing out the safety risks and negative impacts on small businesses. The goal is to ensure every commercial corridor is properly lit, promoting safer and more vibrant communities.
Speaker 21
1:01:36
Thank you so much, madam, a majority leader.
1:01:39
I am reintroducing a whole bunch of great bills today that I am really excited about, and I hope my colleagues will consider signing on to them again but I'm not gonna bother you about any of those.
1:01:51
I've got a new bill that I do wanna share.
1:01:53
You know, we I will tell you, I go out at night in my district on commercial corridors and I walk down the sidewalk and it is dark.
1:02:06
And it makes it it makes for a serious public safety risk.
1:02:12
We track care and we reach out the Department of Transportation, and we say we need more lighting, and maybe we'll get a survey of the lighting.
1:02:18
And maybe in 3 years' time, they'll add some lights.
1:02:21
But most often, they don't.
1:02:23
And the streets remain dark.
1:02:25
It's bad for a local economy.
1:02:27
It's bad for public safety.
1:02:28
We track with really thoughtful metrics, the number of bike lanes that are getting installed, the number of bus lanes getting installed, and we should we should also be tracking how many blocks the Department of Transportation is lighting up sufficiently for pedestrians.
1:02:42
So we have a new bill that would require DOT to install sidewalk lighting.
1:02:48
To eliminate pedestrian areas on 50 commercial corridors every year, approximately 500 blocks.
1:02:55
Over time, we can make sure that every commercial corridor across the five boroughs is properly lit for our safety to support our small businesses and to really strengthen our communities.
1:03:06
This is an area that is not working well in city government today.
1:03:10
We need to actually bring more oversight and we need to bring real metrics to force the Department of Transportation to do better.
1:03:18
And I hope that folks will co sponsor whatever build number, intro number it is.
1:03:24
I don't know.
1:03:25
Maybe 80?
1:03:25
No.
1:03:26
I had got that wrong.
1:03:27
It's something, but I appreciate you all considering it.
1:03:29
It's a good bill.
1:03:30
Podestrian sidewalk lighting.
1:03:31
Thank you.
Speaker 1
1:03:33
Thank you, Council Minister, Council Member, Sanchez.
