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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Elizabeth Denys, Resident of Flatbush
6:29:42
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Elizabeth Denys, a resident of Flatbush, testified in favor of a fully funded and staffed Department of Transportation to ensure street safety projects and the implementation of the Streets Plan. She also advocated for full funding of the Open Streets program, emphasizing its benefits for communities and local businesses.
- Urged for swift implementation of protected bike lanes, pedestrian safety improvements, and bus lanes as mandated by the Streets Plan
- Highlighted the importance of Open Streets in creating public spaces, improving street safety, and supporting local businesses
- Called for an allocation of $48 million over three years to fund organizations running Open Streets programs
Elizabeth Deniz
6:29:42
Hello.
6:29:42
My name oh, sorry.
6:29:44
Hello.
6:29:44
My name is Elizabeth Deniz, resident of Flatbush.
6:29:47
Thank you for this hearing today.
6:29:49
First, I wanted to speak in favor of a fully staffed, fully funded Department of Transportation, in particular, to ensure street safety projects like the streets plans legally, mandated protected bike lanes and other pedestrian safety improvements like hardened daylighting get done swiftly to make sure that our streets truly can be safe for everyone.
6:30:05
We also need this funding and staffing to ensure we don't fall further behind in the streets plans legally mandated number of bus lanes to create every year to make sure that bus riders, many of whom are low income, aren't left behind.
6:30:15
Second, I wanted to speak in favor of making sure that open streets are fully funded.
6:30:19
NYC DOT's Open Streets program has been a vital resource for numerous neighborhoods.
6:30:23
They've created incredible new public spaces and opportunities for community connection, especially for immunocompromised and other high risk folks, who are trying to avoid respiratory viruses.
6:30:32
They also improve street safety in the area and help local businesses that are along and nearby them.
6:30:38
OpenStreet rely really, really heavily on volunteer organizers to make sure that very small amounts of reimbursement grants go a very long way.
6:30:45
And these volunteers are already putting in hundreds of dollars of unpaid labor to make this program successful.
6:30:49
I'm so impressed by all the volunteers behind the Newkirk Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue OpenStreet.
6:30:53
I frequent regularly.
6:30:55
Their work had really touched my life.
6:30:57
But funding has already been decreasing over the years, and it's already jeopardizing the future of OpenStreet's program.
6:31:02
Without this critical funding, OpenStreet's may open less, but it's possible they'll just disappear completely.
6:31:08
And this is the opposite of what we need.
6:31:10
We need to expand this program's funding to make sure that every neighborhood can have equitable access to open streets and always make sure and make sure that we allocate $48,000,000 over the next three years to directly fund these organizations running these programs and making sure that their OpenStreet programs can continue to be a success.
6:31:26
This investment in OpenStreet would boast local economies, make our streets safer by reducing traffic injuries, improve air quality, and expand community programs and opportunities for connection.
6:31:35
Thank you so much for considering my testimony.