Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets Call for City Council to Pass Universal Daylighting Legislation
TA strongly supports Intro 1138, which would bring universal daylighting to New York City.
Intro 1138 is co-sponsored by 25 Council Members.
Over the weekend, a bike rider was killed at an intersection without daylighting in Middle Village, Queens.
NEW YORK — Today, Transportation Alternatives and members of Families for Safe Streets submitted testimony before the City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in support of Intro 1138, legislation that would bring universal daylighting to New York City. This hearing comes less than 48 hours after a bike rider was hit and killed in Queens at an intersection without daylighting.
Three members of Families for Safe Streets testified as to how daylighting could have saved or permanently changed their loved ones’ lives. Shane O’Neal, who traveled from out of state to testify in support of universal daylighting, lost his 26-year-old brother to a traffic crash in Bushwick in September of last year. Mr. O’Neal believes daylighting could have prevented this crash. Mirsada Kolenovic lost her 16-year-old sister, Allissa Kolenovic, when she was struck and killed by a turning truck driver only a block from their home in the Bronx. Kirby Kersels also offered testimony in support of universal daylighting, and his partner, Emilie Gossiaux, was hit by a semi-truck while riding her bike to work. The crash has left her completely blind. Cynthia McKnight, the president of the Community Education Council for District 13 in Brooklyn, spoke for the family of Kamari Hughes, a 7-year-old boy who was killed while crossing the street with his mother in Fort Greene. Ms. McKnight also heard the crash that killed baby Apolline, less than a mile from the crash that killed Kamari.
Daylighting is the practice of repurposing the parking spaces closest to an intersection to improve safety and visibility for everyone on the road. In Hoboken, daylighting intersections reduced pedestrian injuries by 30%, while in San Francisco, daylighting led to a 14% reduction in crashes. New York City’s own Department of Transportation found that physical daylighting, such as daylighting with concrete, bike parking, or flexposts, reduces pedestrian injuries by 32%, and daylighting with curb extensions reduces pedestrian injuries by 70%.
Read the full testimony from Ben Furnas, the Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives below:
Thank you to Chair Brooks-Powers and members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for holding today’s hearing. My name is Ben Furnas, and I am the Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, an organization that fights for safe, liveable, and accessible streets across the five boroughs.
We’re here to testify in support of Intro 1138 and in support of universal daylighting in New York City.
Let’s imagine you’re driving down a street and you come to an intersection. Can you see whether a pedestrian is about to step out in front of you? Or is your view blocked by cars parked right next to the crosswalk? Usually it’s the latter.
In a city of over 45,000 intersections, this lack of visibility can quickly turn deadly. It’s especially dangerous for children because the smallest pedestrians are even more difficult to see behind parked cars.
There’s a solution: universal daylighting. Repurposing the parking spots closest to an intersection makes it easier to see for everyone – regardless of if you’re driving a car, riding a bike, or crossing the street. Universal daylighting can reduce pedestrian injuries by up to 70%. This bill will save lives in every council district.
DOT says this bill will make our city more unsafe – but this goes against both experts in the field and other cities who are already doing it. The National Association of City Transportation Officials, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, and the Federal Highway Administration officially recommend daylighting. Just across the Hudson River in Hoboken, every intersection has daylighting. That’s a big reason why Hoboken has gone more than eight years without a single traffic fatality. In San Francisco, daylighting has led to a 14% reduction in crashes. DOT might say this doesn’t work – but real-world conditions and experts agree: daylighting works and it saves lives.
No city has improved pedestrian infrastructure or street safety by blocking visibility at intersections.
Universal daylighting will do the impossible, and make our neighborhoods bigger overnight. With newfound space, your street can have more shade, cleaner air, or more seating. Your constituents can enjoy a place to wait for the bus or greenery to absorb rainwater and prevent flooding.
New York City can and should be a leader on street design and Vision Zero. We know what works and have the tools to do so – so let’s commit to real, common-sense solutions like universal daylighting.
Universal daylighting can make our city better, safer, more accessible, and greener. Physical daylighting opens up an entire world of possibilities with brand-new public space. Absorbent daylighting, like bioswales, depaving, and other permeable surfaces will reduce flooding. Adding on-street bike racks and secure bike parking will make it easier to bike in neighborhoods with limited bike parking and high numbers of riders. Replacing the parking closest to the intersection with a bus stop will make waiting for the bus pleasant – and protect bus commuters from the elements. Adding trees or other greenery can make our air cleaner and cooler. Curb extensions will make it even safer to cross the street – especially for the youngest New Yorkers, disabled New Yorkers, and anyone pushing a stroller. You can see all of these types of daylighting here on our website.
Of course, signage alone will not necessarily improve safety – but paired with a physical intervention like expanded curbs, flex posts, and turn calming, daylighting will save lives – especially if we prioritize the most hazardous intersections first. It’s a common-sense solution to myriad problems, supported by pedestrians and drivers alike, and proven to work. We urge you to support Intro 1138.
Transportation Alternatives also supports Intro 99.
Thank you for the opportunity to share this testimony.
Read the full testimony from Shane O’Neal, who lost his brother to a traffic crash last year:
Good morning and thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today. My name is Shane O’Neal, and my mother and wife and I all traveled from out of state to be here today. We are here to honor the memory of my youngest brother, Will O’Neal, who was killed on the streets of Brooklyn last year. Seven months ago exactly, in the early hours of September 21st, Will was returning home on a Citi bike when he was struck by a car and flung from the bike. I will never forget the surreal, life-altering, 5 AM phone call from the responding NYPD officer, after Will had already been transported to Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. He would never wake up, and was declared dead on September 23rd. He was 26 years old.
Will was an Eagle Scout, a gardener, a writer, and an adventurer who loved connecting with people. He moved to New York for the same reason as so many others over the years: he was hoping to find himself, and chasing a dream in the biggest and most vibrant city in the United States.
The bill in question today deals with roads and infrastructure, which reflect a series of choices about how we allocate space in our cities. Ultimately, decisions like this are about the lives and safety of the residents of New York, which my brother Will was for far too short a time.
The crash that claimed Will’s life took place at the intersection of Evergreen Ave and Hart St in Bushwick, where another cyclist was also killed in 2016. In the case of my brother, reduced visibility due to a lack of daylighting likely prevented the two parties from seeing each other until it was too late. Fractions of seconds matter in these life-or-death scenarios, and a parked car blocking the line of sight can be all that it takes to turn an unfortunate injury into a life-ending tragedy.
On behalf of my family, all those who love Will, and others who have lost loved ones due to preventable crashes in intersections with poor visibility, I call on you to pass this bill. Thank you.
Read the full testimony from Mirsada Kolenovic, who lost her 16-year-old sister to a traffic crash in the Bronx:
My name is Mirsada Kolenovic, and I am a member of Families for Safe Streets. This is my first time testifying at a City Council hearing, and I am here to urge you to support Intro 1138 and universal daylighting in New York City.
Families for Safe Streets is an organization made up of people like me, who have either lost a loved one or been injured in a traffic crash. FSS members know that when our streets and intersections are deadly, New Yorkers are the ones who pay the price.
I had the dubious honor of joining Families for Safe Streets in 2022, when my 16 year old sister, Allissa Kolenovic, was fatally struck by a turning truck driver as she walked to school about a block away from our home in the Bronx.
The intersection of Paulding Avenue and Neill Avenue, where my sister was struck, was known to be a bad corner, where lack of daylighting meant that neither the driver nor my sister were able to see one another until it was too late. Universal daylighting will mean that everyone, no matter how they’re getting around, can have the visibility to make everyone in the intersection safe.
Allissa’s crash could have been prevented, and I wouldn’t have to be here today. If we design streets around people instead of cars, if we use common sense solutions like daylighting at our intersections, we can and will save lives.
I urge you to support Intro 1138 and universal daylighting.
Thank you for this opportunity to share this testimony, and my sister's story with you.
Read the full testimony from Kirby Kersel, whose partner was hit and permanently disabled in a crash in Brooklyn:
Good afternoon, my name is Kirby Kersels and I am here today as a member of Families for Safe Streets to call on the Council to pass Intro 1138. Daylighting is incredibly personal to me. My partner Emilie was run over by a semi-truck while riding her bike to work. Her body was crushed and she was in a coma for six weeks. When she finally woke up, she was completely blind. It should go without saying that this changed her life forever.
The truck that ran her over was turning and the driver couldn't see her. If universal daylighting had been implemented in 2010, Emilie’s crash would not have happened. She would still have her sight. But we don’t live in a world of what-ifs.
We know that daylighting dramatically cuts down on crashes, crashes that cut lives short and leave survivors with life-altering injuries, crashes that we should absolutely not be tolerating. Today, when Emilie leaves our apartment and navigates the city independently, I am filled with dread that the next time a driver doesn’t see her in time, she won’t be coming home.
It is an egregious failure that in the 15 years since Emilie was run over, almost nothing has been done to make intersections in this city safer. Today, the Council has the chance to make up for all those years of inaction, please pass Intro 1138 and bring daylighting to every intersection in New York City. Our lives depend on it.
Read the full testimony from Cynthia McKnight, the president of CEC District 13 who is representing two families who have lost children to a traffic crash below:
Thank you to Chair Brooks-Powers and the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for holding today's hearing. My name is Cynthia McKnight, and I am the President of the Community Education Council (CEC) for District 13 in Brooklyn. I am here representing members of my community who are part of Families for Safe Streets, an organization made up of individuals who have either lost a loved one or been injured in a traffic crash. I support Intro 1138 and universal daylighting in New York City, and I urge you to support this life-saving legislation.
As the president of CEC 13, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety, health, and success of the children in District 13. I have dedicated my life and career to caring for children, but too often I find myself assisting children and families after horrific tragedies. I am painfully aware of the impact of traffic violence. Last school year, Kamari, a 7-year-old student from Whitman Houses in Fort Greene, was killed while crossing the street with his mother. It was heartbreaking to hug his mother at the funeral and to realize that daylighting could have saved his young life. I also live near the intersection in Clinton Hill where baby Appolina lost her life, and I still hear the scream of her mother when she was killed. Daylighting could have also saved baby Appolina.
When our streets and intersections are unsafe, it is New Yorkers who pay the price. The lack of visibility can quickly become deadly, especially for children, as the smallest pedestrians are often difficult to see behind parked cars. Additionally, many seniors, including grandparents and great-aunts and uncles raising children, have expressed their concerns about street safety. Seniors are disproportionately affected by pedestrian fatalities, despite being a smaller percentage of the city's population.
Finally, I want to honor my childhood friend Edith, who lost her life while we were walking home from PS306 in East New York. Daylighting could have saved Edith and many other New Yorkers. Universal daylighting can make our city better, safer, more accessible, and greener. It is a common-sense solution to numerous problems, supported by both pedestrians and drivers alike, and it is already working across the nation. I urge you to support Intro 1138. Thank you for the opportunity to share my testimony.
Read the full testimony from Chris Rosario, the co-chair of TA’s Youth Committee:
Good Afternoon, my name is Chris Rosario. I'm a resident of East Harlem and I attend Central Park East High School in District 8 which has seen the 2nd most traffic injuries in the city. As a young person navigating our city's streets, I believe that the passage of Intro 1138, to implement universal daylighting, is a crucial step towards ensuring the safety of all New Yorkers.
East Harlem, like many vibrant and densely populated neighborhoods in Manhattan, faces challenges with pedestrian and cyclist safety at intersections. The practice of 'daylighting' – keeping the areas around crosswalks clear of parked cars – would be incredibly beneficial here. On avenues like Lexington Avenue, for example, where there's often heavy foot traffic crossing to access businesses and public transportation, parked cars frequently obstruct the view between pedestrians and drivers. Implementing daylighting would dramatically improve sightlines at these crucial crossing points, making it much safer for residents, families, and seniors navigating our neighborhood streets. Clearing those corners means drivers can see pedestrians sooner, and pedestrians can see oncoming traffic more clearly before stepping into the crosswalk.
We don't have to look far to see the positive impact of prioritizing pedestrian and cyclist visibility. In Hoboken, New Jersey, as of 2023, they saw a remarkable 50% reduction in pedestrians seriously injured in collisions with vehicles and a 67% reduction in bicyclists seriously injured in collisions with vehicles. While these statistics reflect a broader focus on safety, the principle of improved visibility that daylighting provides is undoubtedly a contributing factor to such positive outcomes. Implementing daylighting measures in NYC, including East Harlem and around our schools, is a crucial step towards making our streets safer for all. Thank you for your time and consideration. Let’s prioritize safety instead of parking space.
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