“This is a reprehensible decision that will put New Yorkers in danger”; Statement after Judge Orders Adams Administration to Endanger New Yorkers on 31st Street
Eight people on bikes have been killed in Queens so far this year, already more than in any other year in recorded history, and double the average of four cyclist fatalities in Queens annually.
31st Street is one of the most dangerous roads in Queens. Over the last five years, nearly 200 New Yorkers have been injured along the corridor, and one has been killed.
Protected bike lanes in New York City have made streets safer for everyone, reducing speeding, crashes, and the number of people killed or seriously injured by 29% for all pedestrians and 39% for senior pedestrians.
QUEENS, NY — Today, a judge ordered the Adams administration to rip up a street safety project on a Vision Zero priority corridor. This ruling defies years of legal precedent authorizing the City to design and redesign streets as it reasonably chooses — including a case from just this summer where the City was cleared to rip up a safety project on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
31st Street is one of the most dangerous roads in Queens. Over the last five years, nearly 200 New Yorkers have been injured along the corridor and one has been killed. This section of Astoria is an identified Vision Zero priority area, and the entire length of 31st Street is a Vision Zero priority corridor, but both have received few safety interventions to improve conditions. Queens is also especially dangerous for New Yorkers on bikes; eight bike riders have been killed in Queens so far this year, already more than in any other year in recorded history, and double the average of four cyclist fatalities in Queens annually.
Data continues to show that street safety projects like 31st Street prevent crashes and save lives. Protected bike lanes in New York City have made streets safer for everyone, reducing speeding, crashes, and the number of people killed or seriously injured by 29% for all pedestrians and 39% for senior pedestrians. A similar redesign in the Bronx led to a 41% decline in injuries to those traveling in a motor vehicle and a 10% decline in overall traffic injuries.
Statement from Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives:
“This year, eight bike riders have been killed riding on the streets of Queens — the deadliest year for cyclists in the borough since at least 2008. Today, a judge is demanding the City rip up a safety project that could protect you, your family, and your neighbors from a deadly crash.
This is a reprehensible decision that will put New Yorkers in danger. We trust that the City will swiftly appeal, and that safety, legal precedent, and common sense will win.
“New Yorkers come first — not special interests who want to make your neighborhood and your block more dangerous. We won’t stop fighting until our city’s streets are safe for us all.”
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