School Streets Toolkit, Vision Zero Report, Women’s Ride
We gave students, parents, educators, and administrators a walkthrough of our School Streets Toolkit, a new project we developed with Open Plans. Council Members Rita Joseph, Erik Bottcher, Chi Ossé, Lincoln Restler, and Shekar Krishnan joined to talk about the importance of car-free spaces for students.
Watch the webinar at the link below, and then send us an email to start the process of bringing a car-free School Street to your school!
The need for School Streets has never been more urgent, as our latest Vision Zero report found that 2022 was the deadliest year under Vision Zero for children. Last year, traffic violence killed 16 children in New York City, including three on their way to or from school. Our leaders must provide places for kids to play, learn, and thrive, free from the dangers of cars.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1️⃣ More from our Vision Zero report. Our analysis found that 2022 was the third-deadliest year in the Vision Zero era, with 255 New Yorkers killed on our streets. We examined where these crashes took place and who they harmed, while proposing solutions for how New York City can make its streets safe for all. Read the full report.
2️⃣ A note on trees. According to a recent New York Times article, during growing season, New York City’s greenery can absorb as much as 40 percent of the city’s human-caused carbon emissions. But these benefits may not be evenly distributed across boroughs: Spatial Equity NYC found that the 10 City Council districts with the most tree canopy cover have on average 2.5 times more tree canopy than the 10 districts with the least.
3️⃣ In the news. Here's what we're reading this week:
Read coverage of our 2022 Vision Zero report from amNY, Curbed, Gothamist, the Staten Island Advance, and Streetsblog.
Axios examines how the Ford F-Series trucks have evolved from being seen as a working vehicle to a family car, becoming bigger, more powerful, and more dangerous to pedestrians in the process.
California looks to be the next state to offer e-bike rebates, pledging at least $10 million toward the program, according to Electrek. It's time for New York to follow suit.
TWO THINGS TO DO
1️⃣ Support Open Streets in Brooklyn. On Tuesday, DOT will hold a design workshop for community feedback on Open Streets projects. The event will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Community Building at Bushwick Inlet Park (86 Kent Ave). No advance RSVP is needed, and, in the meantime, you can sign our petitions for the Berry Open Street and the Banker’s Anchor Public Plaza.
2️⃣ Register for the Women’s Ride. Celebrating its second year on the TA calendar, the Women’s Ride offers an 8-mile and a 15-mile option for riders, and will roll through the Bronx and Uptown Manhattan on Saturday, March 25. Registration is free, so sign up today!
ONE ACTION TO TAKE NOW
RSVP to our webinar on bike lanes and double parking. Using publicly available traffic cameras in NYC, Vade conducted a groundbreaking study to measure the problem of double parking and blocked bike lanes. Join us on Friday, February 3, at 1 p.m. for a webinar with Vade CEO Matty Schaefer and Open Plans Chief Strategy Officer Sara Lind. You’ll learn more about their work, and how we can use technology and policy to manage bike lane safety and the curb space.
Thanks for reading!
Ted and the TA team
P.S. On Tuesday, TA and Families for Safe Streets rallied in Albany in support of the SAFE Streets Act. Read our press release for more details.