REMARKS
Council Member Julie Menin introduces Intro 301
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150 sec
Council Member Julie Menin opens the hearing by highlighting the need for improved pedestrian safety measures in New York City.
- She cites several recent fatal pedestrian crashes involving children and older adults
- Menin notes NYC adopted Vision Zero in 2014, but severe injuries and deaths remain unacceptably high
- She advocates for Intro 301 requiring DOT to install 500 illuminated solar-paneled crosswalks over 5 years
- The crosswalks would feature button-activated or weight-activated illuminated signs for visibility
- Menin says the bill also requires DOT to study the impact and challenges of these traffic control devices
- She references other cities using solar crosswalks and studies showing reduced fatalities with street lighting
- Menin emphasizes the bill as a necessary additional Vision Zero measure to improve nighttime pedestrian safety
Julie Menin
0:09:47
THANK YOU, CHAIR FOR HOLDING TODAY'S HEARING.
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THERE HAVE BEEN FAR TO MANY NEW YORKERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES for simply crossing a street.
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Last year in Astoria, a 7 year old girl was killed by an SUV after a driver failed to observe a shop sign.
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A 76 year old man was killed last October while crossing a street in Washington Heights.
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And in January, a 14 year old teenager was fatally struck in Kenarcy by a person driving without a license.
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New York City became the 1st city in the country to a opt a vision 0 platform in 2014.
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10 years later, it is clear more it needs to be done.
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In 2022, there were 1700 61 severe injuries according to DOT.
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From January to September 2023, it was 1800 and 40, which is simply unacceptable.
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That is why we need intro 301 that requires DOT to install 500 solar paneled crosswalks over 5 years.
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These illuminated these can be illuminated crosswalks stop signs or other traffic signs.
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Any person can press a button before crossing the street or DOT can install weight activated devices.
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The devices would ensure distracted devices have a visual signal for pedestrians crossing.
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In addition, the bill requires that DOT would conduct a study on the infect of traffic control devices, any challenges with these devices, and recommendations for their expanded use.
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From San Francisco to New Haven, Connecticut, communities have embraced solar panel crosswalks, and New York City can benefit from it.
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In fact, 1 study found that the odds of a fatality at an intersection crosswalk with street lighting is 54% lower than without street lighting.
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Just last year, there were 258 fatalities resulting from traffic crashes.
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A majority of these deaths, 61% happened between 6 PM to 6 AM.
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The 3 individuals I mentioned earlier were all fatally hit after 5 PM.
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Clearly, this is a problem that remains unaddressed, and that is why this bill is necessary as an additional vision 0 measure.
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I wanna thank the bill director, Keith Fel Felicianfeld.
0:12:11
And from my team, Jonathan Shut, Brandon Jordan, Mercedes Anderson, Thank you so much, Chair, and I look forward to today's hearing.