With One Month Left in Council Term, Parents and Advocates Rally for Universal Daylighting; Display 50 Pairs of Shoes for 50 Children Killed in Traffic Since Beginning of Council Term
Photos and videos (credit: Transportation Alternatives)
Intro 1138, which would bring safer intersections citywide to New York City, is co-sponsored by 25 Council Members and the Public Advocate.
Since this Council’s term began in 2022, 50 children have been killed in traffic.
Walking home from school is the deadliest time for students. Being struck by a car is the leading cause of injury-related death for New York City children under 14.
The City Council has one month to pass universal daylighting before the end of the term.
NEW YORK — Today, with only one month left in the City Council’s term, parents and advocates rallied at City Hall in support of universal daylighting. They were joined by a bipartisan group of City Council Members including Julie Won, Frank Morano, Erik Bottcher, and Selvena Brooks-Powers, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Council Member-elect Harvey Epstein.
Since this City Council took office in 2022, 50 children have been killed in traffic crashes. Advocates placed 50 pairs of shoes on the steps of City Hall to represent each child lost during the Council’s tenure.
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.
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 over eight 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 behind a parked car in an obstructed intersection.
“59% of pedestrian fatalities and 77% of pedestrian traffic injuries occur at intersections, yet only 8% of NYC intersections have daylighting features and New York City has long been exempt from the state's daylighting law," said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. "NYC DOT committed to daylighting 1,000 intersections in 2024 but only completed 460 by the end of the year. It is now time for the Council to take action and pass Intro 1138.”
“Daylighting is already the law in New York State, and it’s about time that NYC complies. 62 percent of pedestrian deaths happened at an intersection in the first six months of 2025. We need Intro 1138 to speed up the process of making our streets and crossing safer for all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Julie Won. “We know daylighting works and we’ve seen it in effect in cities like Paris, Tokyo, Houston, and Hoboken. Our advocacy won’t stop until every single intersection in NYC has daylighting.”
“As the sponsor of the first daylighting law in New York City, I’ve seen firsthand how these simple, proven street design changes save lives,” said Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “Every pedestrian deserves to be seen, and every driver deserves a clear line of sight. Universal daylighting will make that a reality across our five boroughs. We’ve already laid the groundwork with Local Law 66 of 2023 — now it’s time to finish the job. We need Intro 1138 passed before the end of the year to make our streets safer for all New Yorkers. I commend my colleague, bill sponsor, Council Member Julie Won, for her leadership on this important piece of legislation.”
“Our city’s streets should be safe for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Daylighting is a simple, common-sense solution that saves lives by clearing sightlines at intersections. In neighborhoods like Park Slope, Kensington, and Gowanus, we’ve seen how blocked corners and double parking endanger parents, seniors, and delivery workers every day. With just four Council meetings left this session, we cannot wait any longer. It’s time to pass universal daylighting and make every intersection in New York City safer for all.”
“Traffic violence is not inevitable,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “Safer streets are possible, not in the distant future but now. The City Council must take action to pass Universal Daylighting to protect every pedestrian, driver, and cyclist in our city. I am grateful to Transportation Alternatives and Open Plans for their commitments to our safety. It is our obligation to work swiftly to protect our constituents and build a safer city.”
“Every New Yorker deserves safe, walkable streets, no matter their age or ability,” said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York. “Daylighting is a simple, common-sense measure that will save lives. Older adults make up one-third of pedestrian fatalities, and as New York’s population ages, it is essential to design streets that protect those who wish to age in place and remain active in their communities. By improving visibility at intersections, we can prevent crashes, support independence, and build safer, more livable neighborhoods for everyone. We urge the City Council to pass Intro 1138 and make daylighting the standard across New York City.”
“Daylighting our streets is a smart policy solution 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 swiftly passing Intro 1138 before the end of the year,” said Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters. “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.
“Support for universal daylighting is overwhelming,” said Eric McClure of StreetsPAC. “A majority of City Council Members have signed on as co-sponsors, scores of advocacy organizations have expressed support, nearly two dozen Community Boards have passed resolutions in favor of it, and we only have to look across the Hudson to Hoboken to see how it makes intersections safer. We’re grateful to Council Member Julie Won for her tireless work in support of universal daylighting, and we urge her colleagues to get with this life-saving program and pass Intro 1138 without any further delay.”
"Universal daylighting is a proven, common-sense policy that ensures New Yorkers of all ages can safely access parks and playgrounds while creating new space for greenery, seating, and stormwater capture—exactly the kind of climate-resilient infrastructure New York City needs,” said Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy and Policy at New Yorkers for Parks. “New Yorkers for Parks stands with the majority in the City Council and communities citywide in urging the passage of Intro 1138."
“Universal daylighting is the kind of policy we don’t see often: simple, inexpensive, and transformative. Clearing sightlines makes every corner safer for all New Yorkers,” said Melinda Hanson, co-founder of The E-Mobility Project. “The E-Mobility Project urges the Council to pass this bill before end of year, and rapidly implement it across the city.”
“City Council members know that their constituents overwhelmingly support universal daylighting for safer intersections,” said Christine Serdjenian Yearwood, founder and CEO of UP-STAND. “UP-STAND joins Transportation Alternatives and Open Plans in demanding a vote now: Our Councilmembers need to show us that they value our lives and the lives of our children before time runs out.”
“As parents, we walk and bike through the city with our kids every day,” said Pete Martin of Kids Over Cars. “Whether we're on foot or on bikes, at intersections where cars are parked to the corner, we know drivers can’t see us until it’s too late. Intersections without daylighting put every family at risk, but daylighting allows everyone—parents, kids, drivers, cyclists—to see each other and get around safely. New Yorkers need universal daylighting to keep our kids safer everywhere.”
“Daylighting is a common sense and inexpensive way to make our streets safer for all users. Our city's intersections are dangerous and too often they have proved to be deadly,” said Lara Birnback, Executive Director, Brooklyn Heights Association. “It doesn't matter if you are a driver, a pedestrian, or a cyclist -- daylighting will benefit everyone. We strongly encourage the city council to pass 1138 immediately to ensure that the benefits of this well-established and proven street safety intervention can reach everyone.”
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