Vision Zero Hearing, Jobs at TA, Women’s Ride
The City Council held a hearing on Vision Zero this week, as traffic fatalities remain above pre-pandemic levels. Last year, 256 lives were lost to traffic violence in New York City. Of those fatalities, 16 were people under age 18 — the highest of any year of Vision Zero — and one in three deaths occurred on Vision Zero Priority Corridors, a grouping of the most dangerous 7% of streets in the city.
As traffic violence numbers continue to rise, we need the Mayor and the City Council to act now to make our streets safe. This includes fully implementing the NYC Streets Plan this year, after DOT fell well short of its targets for bus lane and bike lane construction.
We need Vision Zero to get back on track. Our lives depend on it.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1️⃣ Traffic violence hurts neighborhoods with fewer drivers. 92% of fatal crashes in New York City last year involved a motor vehicle. Yet in the 10 council districts with the highest traffic fatality rates, on average more than half of households do not own a car, and fewer than 25% drive alone to work according to Spatial Equity NYC.
2️⃣ We’re hiring! Want to raise funds for safe streets? Check out our Director of Development role. Want to turn data into design? We have a new Data Visualization Coordinator position for you. Check out these listings and more on our careers page.
3️⃣ In the news. Here's what we're reading this week:
London lowered its speed limit to 20 miles per hour in high-density areas, leading to 63% fewer collisions with pedestrians, as Traffic Technology Today reports.
What could Fifth Avenue look like if we put pedestrians first? POLITICO looks at the latest proposal from Mayor Eric Adams.
Hear from TA’s Brooklyn Organizer Kathy Park Price in a Brooklyn Paper article on bike lane construction delays.
TWO THINGS TO DO
1️⃣ Support expanding Citi Bike with public funding. Last year, Citi Bike set a record with more than 30 million trips taken, but too many neighborhoods are still unserved. Sign our petition for the city to provide public funding for bike share programs, so that we can give more people access while also keeping memberships affordable.
2️⃣ Watch TA’s Juan Restrepo on BRIC TV. Our Senior Organizer spoke with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso about community boards, bike lanes, and bike ridership trends across NYC. Watch the interview here.
ONE ACTION TO TAKE NOW
1️⃣ Register for our second-annual Women’s Ride. As referenced in the BRIC TV interview (above), 2020 saw a 147% increase in bike ridership among women (compared to 68% among men). However, women still comprise only 33% of cyclists on our streets. Join us for the Women’s Ride on Saturday, March 25 and help us build a stronger community of women and non-binary bike riders.
Thanks for reading!
Ted and the TA team