Now with Majority Council Support, Council Member Julie Won; Leading Safe Streets, Climate, and Disability Rights Groups Rally with Community Members Rally in Support of Universal Daylighting
Intro 1138, which would bring safer intersections citywide to New York City, is co-sponsored by 25 council members and the Public Advocate.
More than two-thirds of children killed in 2024 and 2025 were in the intersection when they were killed.
Walking home from school is the deadliest time for students.
23 community boards have passed resolutions in support of daylighting.
Full Media Package Here with B-Roll, Speakers, and Interviews
NEW YORK — Monday morning, after one million public school students have started school and a majority of City Council members have signed on in support of citywide daylighting, Council Member Julie Won; Open Plans; Kids Over Cars; New York League of Conservation Voters; StreetsPAC; Tri-State Transportation Campaign; the Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York; Families for Safe Streets; NYPIRG, and community members will rally in support of Council Member Julie Won’s Intro 1138. The rally will begin at 9:30 a.m. in City Hall Park.
Daylighting is the process of repurposing the curb space closest to an intersection to improve visibility for everyone. Today, most intersections in New York City allow parking all the way up to the crosswalk — meaning pedestrians can’t see drivers and drivers can’t see pedestrians until they’re in the middle of the road.
“New Yorkers need daylighting now,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Today, all across New York City, children trying to cross the street are hidden by parked cars. Obstructed intersections are dangerous for everyone — and especially older adults, people in wheelchairs, children — but the vast majority of intersections across the five boroughs allow parking all the way up to the crosswalk. We all deserve to be safe when we’re crossing the street, and drivers deserve to see pedestrians before they’re in the middle of the street. Now with majority support, we’re calling on the City Council to pass this bill without delay!”
Since 2014, 32% of child pedestrians were killed between 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on a weekday, though these hours only make up 13% of the week. The morning commute is equally dangerous for child pedestrians, with 11% of fatalities taking place between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. though these hours make up only 6% of the week's stretch.
Daylighting has been proven to improve safety at intersections. After implementing daylighting, crashes fell 14% in San Francisco. In Hoboken, daylighting resulted in a 30% reduction in pedestrian injuries, and is credited as the chief intervention responsible for eliminating all traffic deaths for 8 years, making Hoboken the first U.S. city to reach Vision Zero. Daylighting is especially important for protecting children from injury and death; it’s even more difficult for drivers to see the smallest pedestrians from behind a parked car in an obstructed intersection.
“Daylighting is an efficient, affordable, and proven way to ensure our streets are safe for every New Yorker — whether walking, riding, or driving — which is why we urge the City Council to expand the use of this life-saving infrastructure by passing Intro 1138. Street safety and achieving our climate and environmental goals must go hand in hand and the time to act on this common sense measure is now,” said Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy, New York League of Conservation Voters.
“Every day the NYC Council does not pass Int. 1138, New Yorkers face unnecessary risks at dangerous intersections. Whether walking, biking, or driving, everyone, in every neighborhood, deserves visibility. We urge Speaker Adams and the City Council to move swiftly to pass Int. 1138 and deliver the safe intersections New Yorkers deserve," said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director, Open Plans.
"All New York parents know the anxiety of pushing a stroller in front of them into an intersection they can't properly see. Daylighting is common sense. It's also the least we can do for our kids and future generations of kids,” said Zeke Dunn with Kids Over Cars.
“When intersections are clear of parked cars, it’s safer for children, older adults, and all New Yorkers to cross the street and reach their local park, playground, recreation center, or ball field. Reclaiming curb space near crosswalks for greenery, seating, and stormwater capture transforms dangerous corners into welcoming public spaces that fight climate change and make our city healthier. Universal daylighting is a simple, proven step toward a safer, greener, and more connected New York," Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy & Policy, New Yorkers for Parks.
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