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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rosa Chang, President of Gotham Park, on Daylighting Intro 1138
4:40:00
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120 sec
Rosa Chang, President of Gotham Park, testifies in support of Intro 1138 for universal daylighting in New York City. She emphasizes the importance of visibility at intersections for pedestrian safety, particularly for vulnerable populations like wheelchair users, children, and the elderly.
- Chang shares that daylighting implemented around Gotham Park has improved safety at intersections with a history of injuries.
- She argues that the safety of pedestrians should be prioritized over parking convenience.
- Chang concludes by stating that crossing the street shouldn't require bravery and that protecting vulnerable road users is a societal responsibility.
Rosa Chang
4:40:00
Hello.
4:40:01
Thank you very much.
4:40:02
My name is Rosa Chang, and I am the president of Gotham Park.
4:40:07
I'm also a member of community board one, and I am also a mom, but I'm speaking today to represent myself.
4:40:13
Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of daylighting intro 11:38.
4:40:18
For those of our neighbors and family members who use wheelchairs and walkers to get around strollers for our babies, And for those who are simply shorter like me or all our young children, we simply cannot see or be seen around the myriad of vehicles which park or obstruct our crosswalks, the vast majority of which seem to grow larger every single year.
4:40:41
Gotham Park was fortunate to have major intersections around our newly opened and expanding space repaired and improved with daylighting at several intersections where we had 55 reported injuries over four years.
4:40:54
We are extremely thankful to DOT for implementing this safety measure as we have over 10,000 local older adults in our community as well as over 8,000 younger aspiring adults, otherwise known as students of all ages.
4:41:09
What we have learned pre and post daylighting is that we can actually see and be seen, which vastly increases our chances of avoiding becoming roadkill or injured.
4:41:20
I understand that losing parking spaces is an enormous inconvenience, but why should an unoccupied vehicle be prioritized over the hundreds or thousands of living people actively crossing the street in front of it?
4:41:34
Why should simply crossing a street in New York City be an act of bravery?
4:41:38
I hope that we can all agree that human health and life is precious.
4:41:42
It is our responsibility to protect our most vulnerable as a society, and they should be prioritized over the convenience of few for safety for all.
4:41:54
Because once you step out of a car, you are also a pedestrian too.
4:41:59
Thank you very much.