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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michelle Demet, Member of Transportation Alternatives, on Universal Daylighting
3:30:32
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136 sec
Michelle Demet, a member of Transportation Alternatives, testifies in support of Intro 1138, which would implement universal daylighting in New York City. She shares a personal story about losing her aunt to traffic violence and emphasizes the importance of street safety measures.
- Demet explains how daylighting can protect both pedestrians and drivers by improving visibility at intersections.
- She argues that New York has the opportunity to lead in preventing traffic violence, which she describes as a global epidemic.
- Demet connects the issue to immigrant experiences and the promise of community care, stating that streets should be designed for life, not just for cars.
Michelle Demet
3:30:32
Hi.
3:30:33
My name is Michelle Demet.
3:30:35
I am also a member of Transportation Alternatives, not Sunrise Movement, but we're here.
3:30:40
So yes, in support of intro one one three eight, would bring universal daylighting to New York City and require DOT to install physical infrastructure that hardens daylight spots at a thousand intersections a year.
3:30:52
And as I said, I work at TA, but this issue is not part of just part of my job.
3:30:57
It's a deeply personal one.
3:30:59
Over a year ago, I lost my aunt to traffic violence.
3:31:03
She was vibrant, full of life, and endlessly generous.
3:31:06
She helped raise me.
3:31:08
She taught me how to cook, how to stand up for myself, how to laugh loudly and love fiercely.
3:31:14
She was turning at an intersection in Budapest when another driver sped through, crashed into her vehicle.
3:31:19
The crash totaled her car.
3:31:21
She survived the initial impact, but the initial trauma led to an acute respiratory syndrome and eventually sepsis.
3:31:27
She died in a hospital bed days later.
3:31:29
Her death was not just tragic, it was violent.
3:31:32
Violent to experience and violent to watch unfold from afar.
3:31:36
I remember the phone call, I remember the helplessness of being thousands of miles away, I remember my mom crying on the kitchen floor, and I remember feeling like the world had gone silent.
3:31:47
That crash didn't happen in New York, but the conditions that led to it, limited visibility, high speeds, preventable design failure exists everywhere.
3:31:56
Traffic violence is a global epidemic, and New York has the opportunity to lead in preventing it.
3:32:03
Daylighting doesn't just protect pedestrians or cyclists, it protects drivers too.
3:32:07
My aunt might still be here today if her view in that intersection hadn't been blocked.
3:32:13
We cannot wait for more families to go through what mine did.
3:32:16
As a daughter of immigrants who deeply believe in the power of close knit communities, I know how important it is for people to safe to feel safe walking to school, biking to work, or simply crossing the street.
3:32:27
We all deserve streets that care for us, that are designed for life, not just for cars.
3:32:33
My family came to The US here believing in the promise of community care, that the people around you would keep you safe.
3:32:38
Our streets should reflect that promise.
3:32:40
We have the power to prevent these kinds of deaths to make sure that the next aunt, the next son, the next neighbor makes it home.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:32:48
Thank you.