Statement in Response to Cyclist Killed by USPS Driver on the Upper West Side
“If the next city budget does not expand and accelerate redesigns of dangerous corridors, cars will kill more New Yorkers.”
NEW YORK - Yesterday evening, the driver of a massive USPS truck struck and killed a 71-year-old cyclist at the intersection of Central Park West and 86th Street. This is a notoriously dangerous intersection where turning vehicles regularly cause conflict with vulnerable street users like cyclists.
Citywide, 126 people have been killed in crashes since the start of 2021, approximately 40 percent more than 2020 and the highest number by this point in the year since Mayor de Blasio took office.
Statement from Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives
“On behalf of Transportation Alternatives, we send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the cyclist killed on the Upper West Side last night.”
“2021 is on track to be the deadliest year on our streets since Mayor de Blasio took office. Speeding and reckless driving are on the rise and these trends will only increase unless this mayor and the next treat traffic violence like the urgent public health crisis that it is.”
“Today, Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Council are set to announce details of the next city budget. If the next city budget does not expand and accelerate redesigns of dangerous corridors, cars will kill more New Yorkers. We expect, at a minimum, that key programs like the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program and Streets Master Plan will be fully funded. The carnage plaguing our streets demands increased investment in Vision Zero programs that work.”
“A budget is a statement of values. We hope in the final budget of his administration that Mayor de Blasio will value saving human life over driver convenience.”
###