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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, on Universal Daylighting
2:19:11
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144 sec
Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, strongly supports Intro 1138 for universal daylighting in New York City. He argues that daylighting improves visibility at intersections, enhances safety for all road users, and can significantly reduce pedestrian injuries.
- Furnas challenges DOT's claims that the bill may make the city less safe, citing expert recommendations and successful implementations in other cities.
- He highlights that universal daylighting can create more usable space in neighborhoods for amenities like shade, seating, and greenery.
- The testimony emphasizes the potential of daylighting to save lives in every council district and make the city safer and more pleasant.
Ben Furnas
2:19:11
Good afternoon, Chair Brooks Powers and members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
2:19:15
My name is Ben Furness.
2:19:17
I'm the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an organization of thousands of New Yorkers who fight for safe, livable, and accessible streets across all five boroughs.
2:19:25
We strongly support intro November and universal daylighting in New York City.
2:19:30
Imagine you're driving down a street and you come to an intersection.
2:19:34
Can you see whether a pedestrian is about to step out in front of you or is your view blocked by cars parked right next to the crosswalk?
2:19:40
Usually, and in too many places, it's the latter.
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This lack of visibility can quickly turn deadly.
2:19:46
It's especially dangerous for children, like my two daughters who are two and five, because the smallest pedestrians are even more difficult to see behind parked cars.
2:19:55
There is a solution, universal daylighting.
2:19:57
Repurposing the parking spots closest to an intersection makes it easier to see for everyone regardless of whether you're driving a car, riding a bike, or crossing the street.
2:20:07
Universal hardened daylighting can reduce pedestrian injuries by up to seventy percent.
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This bill will save lives in every council district and every neighborhood.
2:20:16
You heard the Department of Transportation, say that this bill may make our city more unsafe, but this goes against both experts in the field and other cities who have already done it.
2:20:25
The National Association of City Transportation Officials, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and the Federal Highway Administration officially recommends daylighting.
2:20:34
Just across the Hudson River in Hoboken and we heard from Mayor Bala earlier today, every intersection has daylighting and they've gone over eight years without a single traffic fatality.
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In San Francisco, daylighting has led to a 14% reduction in crashes, real world conditions and experts agree, daylighting works and it saves lives.
2:20:51
DOT's own study supports daylighting with even modest physical infrastructure, something we all agree is ideal and we'd be excited to work with DOT city council to bring hardened daylighting to every intersection in New York City.
2:21:03
No city has improved pedestrian infrastructure or safety by blocking visibility at intersections.
2:21:11
Universal daylighting will do the impossible and make our neighborhoods bigger overnight.
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With newfound space on our streets, we can have more shade, cleaner air or more seating.
2:21:20
Folks, your constituents can enjoy a place to wait for the bus or greenery to absorb brain water and prevent flooding.
2:21:26
This bill will make our cities better and safer and more pleasant, and we urge you to support Intro eleven thirty eight, and thank you for this opportunity to testify and for your support on this.