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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Chong Brettian, Member of the Public, on Daylighting and Street Safety
4:31:35
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Chong Brettian, a long-time resident and mother, testified in support of the daylighting legislation, emphasizing the importance of pedestrian safety, particularly for children and vulnerable road users. She described how parked vehicles, especially SUVs, obstruct visibility at intersections, forcing pedestrians and drivers to dangerously enter the street to see oncoming traffic.
- Brettian lives near two schools and a daycare, witnessing daily safety risks for children and caregivers crossing streets
- She highlighted that SUVs comprise about 60% of cars in NYC, creating significant visibility issues at corners
- Brettian urged the council to prioritize pedestrian safety over parking concerns, stating "There's nothing more important than saving lives"
Chong Brettian
4:31:35
Okay.
4:31:35
Hi.
4:31:37
Thank you to my council member, Julie Won, and the rest of the transportation committee for holding this meeting.
4:31:44
My name is Chong Brettian.
4:31:45
I'm a long time resident of oh, sorry.
4:31:48
Okay.
4:31:49
Now you can see me.
4:31:50
I'm a long
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
4:31:50
time resident.
4:31:51
Put it back.
Chong Brettian
4:31:55
Wait.
4:31:56
You can see me now or no?
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
4:31:57
We can see you, but we saw the cute puppy too.
Chong Brettian
4:32:00
Oh, yeah.
4:32:00
Thank you.
4:32:01
Finally.
4:32:02
You know, I was considering putting some, non daylight intersections, but I thought I'll go with the dog.
4:32:07
Earn me some brownie points.
4:32:08
Anyway, one of the reasons, my primary reason for supporting this legislation is my concern for the children in my neighborhood.
4:32:17
I'm a mom, and I live down the block from two schools, one of which serves newly arrived immigrant children, and I live around the corner from a daycare that serves low income families.
4:32:28
Day after day, I witness students or caregivers with little kids in strollers standing in the middle of the street just so they can see around the corners whether a vehicle is blasting down so they they can cross safely.
4:32:42
In addition, the drivers of these vehicles, they also have to pull straight in the middle of the intersection so they can see if another driver is coming towards them.
4:32:52
This is because we allow, in New York City, drivers to park their cars right up until the corners and edge into the crosswalks.
4:32:59
SUVs comprise about 60% of all the cars in New York City.
4:33:04
And so when these massive dark metal boxes are parked close to the corner, they obstruct visibility and impede safe crossing.
4:33:13
We tell kids since day one, you gotta look both ways before you cross the street, but they can't even do that because they can't see.
4:33:21
It shouldn't be, you know, lurch into the intersection and then see if someone's coming towards you.
4:33:27
So we need to design our streets and our curbs considering the most vulnerable road users in mind, and that's always pedestrians.
4:33:35
Everybody walks at some point in the city no matter how you get around.
4:33:39
So I therefore urge the council to please
UNKNOWN
4:33:42
Thank you.
4:33:42
Time's expired.
Chong Brettian
4:33:43
There's nothing more important than saving lives.
4:33:47
Please don't let us down.
4:33:49
People have nowhere to park.
4:33:50
Oh, well, that's not a reason to force kids in the middle of a street.
4:33:54
Thank you very much.