Today's announcement shows the potential to continue reducing traffic deaths in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg, standing with top officials from the Transportation and Police Departments, recognized this stating, "one traffic fatality is one too many." According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, traffic is the number two cause of injury-related death in New York City. Between 2002 and 2006, 1993 people died in traffic crashes.

"Our historic low is still too high for the safest big city in America. How do we get these numbers down to zero and eradicate traffic as a public health epidemic?" asked Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. "The answer is for City Hall to champion inter-agency coordination and bring in the analytical and epidemiological expertise of the Health Department."

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