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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Vishnu Reddy from Sunnyside, Queens on Universal Daylighting
5:30:42
ยท
127 sec
Vishnu Reddy, a resident of Sunnyside, Queens, strongly supports Intro 1138 for universal daylighting in New York City streets. He argues that keeping intersections clear of visual obstructions like parked cars is essential for safety and is standard practice in many other cities.
- Reddy emphasizes that daylighting benefits both pedestrians and drivers by improving visibility and reducing the risk of accidents.
- He points out that New York City is currently exempt from state-mandated daylighting, which he finds illogical for a pedestrian-oriented city.
- Reddy praises Intro 1138 for providing both immediate and long-term solutions, but also calls for further action, including full implementation of the streets plan and improved enforcement of regulations.
Vishnu Reddy
5:30:42
Hi.
5:30:43
Good afternoon.
5:30:44
My name is Vishnu Reddy, and I live in Sunnyside, Queens.
5:30:47
I'm here today because I strongly support intro November, which would bring universal daylighting to our streets.
5:30:54
I'm grateful to see my council member, Julie Wan, championing championing this effort to make our neighborhood safer and more accessible for everyone.
5:31:02
Intersections are where crashes are most likely to happen, and visibility is essential if we want our streets to be safer.
5:31:08
When we can't see each other, whether we're walking, biking, or driving, we are all at greater risk.
5:31:14
That's why keeping intersections clear of visual obstructions like parked cars isn't just a good idea.
5:31:20
It's standard practice in cities all across The US and around the world.
5:31:25
Right now, New York state requires daylighting at intersections everywhere except New York City.
5:31:29
That exemption doesn't make sense.
5:31:31
For a city as pedestrian oriented at ours, it's shocking that we fall behind places like Houston and Omaha, which are far less known for walkability but have universal daylighting as a standard practice.
5:31:44
This isn't just about pedestrians.
5:31:45
It's about drivers too.
5:31:47
Driving in the city is made harder and more dangerous because of poor sight lines at intersections.
5:31:52
Parked cars near, corners block visibility and create confusion and bottlenecks.
5:31:57
And no driver wants to be in the terrifying position of hitting or even nearly hitting a pedestrian crossing the street.
5:32:04
Not to mention that most drivers are also pedestrians at some point or another.
5:32:08
Intro eleven thirty eight is a well designed bill because it brings both immediate and long term solutions.
5:32:14
It gives us quick relief by aligning our regulations with most of the country by keeping parked cars away from crosswalks, and it sets the stage for lasting change by requiring the city to build safer, more visible intersections through better infrastructure.
5:32:28
Intro eleven thirty eight is an excellent bill, but we clearly need to go further than that to keep us safe.
5:32:33
We need the mayor and the DOT to implement the streets plan as they are legally mandated to instead of shirking their responsibility here.
5:32:40
And we need to increase our capacity to enforce the regulations we have in place.
5:32:45
One of DOT's excuses for opposing Intro eleven thirty eight is that we can't guarantee