Streetsblog New York City

Of the five boroughs, Brooklyn saw the most pedestrian fatalities from 2009 through 2011. Many of the victims were seniors, as indicated by pink icons on this TSTC map.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s latest “Most Dangerous Roads for Walking” report [PDF] is another urgent reminder that roads and streets designed for maintaining auto capacity are not safe for people who travel outside a car.

Drawing on federal data from 2009 through 2011, the report ranks the region’s most dangerous roads in terms of total pedestrian fatalities — 1,242 in all during the three-year time frame. Reads the report:

Almost 60 percent of these fatalities occurred on arterial roadways, high-speed roads often with multiple lanes in each direction and few pedestrian amenities such as marked cross-walks or pedestrian count-down signals.

NYC streets with the most pedestrian deaths were as follows:

• The Bronx: Broadway (5); East Gun Hill Road (5); Grand Concourse (4); Baychester Avenue (4)
• Brooklyn: Ocean Parkway (6); Eastern Parkway (5); Kings Highway (4); Utica Avenue (4); Bedford Avenue (4)
• Manhattan: Broadway (12); Amsterdam Avenue (7); Seventh Avenue (5); Second Avenue (5); First Avenue (4)
• Queens: Woodhaven Boulevard (7); Jamaica Avenue (5); Union Turnpike (4); Queens Boulevard (4); Northern Boulevard (4); Lefferts Boulevard (4)
• Staten Island: Richmond Avenue (3); New Dorp Lane (2); Hylan Boulevard (2); Port Richmond Avenue (2)

Of Broadway’s 17 pedestrian fatalities, only one occurred south of 96th Street. There was a concentration of fatal collisions in Washington Heights, where drivers head to and from the George Washington Bridge, and where Broadway’s tree-lined medians and pedestrian islands disappear.

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With MAP-21 taking effect today, city and state transportation advocates are calling on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Transportation to devote all of its federal bike-ped funds to walking and cycling infrastructure. The coalition of just over 100 groups is also asking that the state make available millions of dollars, allocated as part of the prior federal transportation bill, to such projects before the funds must be returned to Washington.

MAP-21 decreases overall bike-ped funding by 30 percent, explains the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in a media release, and gives governors the authority to take up to half of the bike-ped pool for highways and bridges. Representing transportation, environmental and health interests, the groups want the state to use 100 percent of federal “Transportation Alternatives” funds for bike and pedestrian projects. A letter to Cuomo and the DOT also asks that localities be granted the opportunity to apply for $30 million in bike and pedestrian funds from the last transportation law, funds that must otherwise be returned.

TSTC reports that, in New York State, total injuries to cyclists from collisions with motorists jumped 12 percent between 2009 and 2010, from 5,405 to 6,058, according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cyclist fatalities increased from 29 to 36, a 24 percent spike. Pedestrian injuries increased from 15,321 in 2009 to 16,090 in 2010, a 5 percent rise.

“High rates of pedestrian and bicycle injuries and fatalities indicate that all available funds must be used by state and local officials to reduce these numbers,” said TSTC Executive Director Veronica Vanterpool. “Our ‘Most Dangerous Roads’ report found that more than 1,200 pedestrians were killed in the downstate region from 2008 to 2010 — that’s 1,200 reasons to use every available dollar to make our roads safer for all users.”

The Cuomo administration hasn’t shown much interest in traffic safety. Last week, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced a new policy to permanently revoke licenses of motorists with five or more DWI convictions — or three or more DWI convictions in 25 years, as long the motorist has also committed a serious driving offense, such as killing one or more people. Two days later, Cuomo unveiled his “Drivers First” program, which will “prioritize the convenience of motorists and ensure that disruptions are as minimal as possible to drivers at highway and bridge projects across the state.” These initiatives are fairly representative of an administration whose signature transportation project is a multi-billion dollar mega-bridge with no provisions for transit.

“With the stroke of a pen, Governor Cuomo can save lives and improve the health and quality of life of all New Yorkers,” said Brian Kehoe, executive director of the New York Bicycling Coalition. “This is money that gets spent locally, improves the safety of our roads and sidewalks, and creates trails, making our communities better places to live. Leadership is needed to adapt our community infrastructure to 21st century needs.”

This map shows roughly how much states are spending on bike and pedestrian projects that are not part of a larger road project. Click on the image to see the full interactive map.

How’s your state doing on bike and pedestrian investment? Transit? Bridge repair?

Congress just reauthorized the national law that funnels tens of billions of dollars each year to state departments of transportation, but tracking how these agencies spend all their federal money is notoriously difficult. A lack of uniformity in the way states report spending has made it difficult to compare these numbers, even though all states are required to abide by certain federal filing standards. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign recently sorted through piles of documents to establish a basis for comparison.

Their new report, “Tracking State Transportation Dollars” [PDF], breaks down the funding levels for each State Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, a document that lists all projects that states plan to fund with federal dollars. Although the STIP doesn’t account for all of a state’s transportation funding, it does reveal some interesting patterns.

Overall, states spend an average of 20 percent on transit, the report found. Bicycle and pedestrian programs made up an average of 2 percent. Meanwhile, states are spending an average of 38.5 percent of the STIP on maintenance, and about 22.5 percent to add expand roads and bridges.

The results also reveal wide variations from state to state, made available in a handy interactive map.

Hawaii — thanks to its construction of a major passenger rail system — is the only state to best New York in transit spending, devoting 74 percent of its STIP budget to transit. The Empire State, with a much larger system to maintain, stands at a still-formidable 62 percent. Virginia is another standout at 49 percent, with Colorado (44 percent) and Utah (42 percent) not far behind. Meanwhile, Nebraska (1 percent), Mississippi and Kentucky (2 percent each) exemplify states on the lower end of the transit-spending spectrum.

Meanwhile, North Carolina is the worst sprawl-inducer, spending 58 percent of its STIP on expanding highways. Arizona and Arkansas also spend more than half of their STIP on adding roads, with Indiana (45 percent), Mississippi (also 45), and Texas (36 percent) especially prone to highway expansion as well. Not surprisingly, several of these states also devote a low proportion of their STIP to maintenance, with Texas and Arizona giving just a shred to upkeep of their existing transportation network.

You have to be cautious about making comparisons, however, says report author Renata Silberblatt.

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After two crashes in six years that caused 13 fatalities and an outcry from an indignant press corps suddenly obsessed with traffic safety, the New York State Department of Transportation has turned its attention to the Bronx River Parkway.

Broadway at Dyckman Street, in Inwood. Twenty pedestrians died on Broadway in Manhattan and the Bronx between 2008 and 2010, according to federal data. Photo: Brad Aaron

The concrete barriers planned for the parkway seem designed to facilitate speeding, but the state DOT says it will work with NYPD to slow drivers down. While it’s obvious that change is needed, it remains to be seen if those measures will prevent Bronx River Parkway motorists from injuring and killing themselves, their passengers and others.

The terrible events of last Sunday, when seven members of a single Bronx family died in what is believed to have been a high-speed crash, sparked a wave of media coverage. The Daily News in particular has taken up the cause with zeal, all but blaming state DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald for the catastrophe.

Yet other streets where people are hurt and killed every day largely escape media attention. From 2008 to 2010, 13 pedestrians died on Broadway in Manhattan, according to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which compiles data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its annual report on the region’s most dangerous roads. Seven pedestrians were killed on Broadway in the Bronx, seven on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, seven on the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Street in Manhattan, and seven on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue during the same period. Most of the 250 traffic fatalities in New York City every year happen on local streets, not highways, and state agencies could be doing more to prevent these deaths.

“NYS DOT could bolster and expand its funding for the Local Safe Streets and Traffic Calming grant program,” says Tri-State’s Ryan Lynch. “They have repeatedly cut this funding in recent years [though it] works to calm streets and enhance pedestrian safety for streets on Long Island. If it was expanded and better funded it could be beneficial to NYC streets as well.”

Tri-State has called on states to designate additional federal funds for bike and pedestrian safety projects. Allowing large cities that get federal transit funds to receive federal road allocations directly, rather than having them funneled through state governments, could also help, says TSTC Executive Director Kate Slevin.

But you won’t find the editorial writers at the Daily News pressuring state and federal agencies to help make neighborhood streets safer for people who walk and bike. You won’t see them demanding that Ray Kelly’s NYPD keep New Yorkers alive and in one piece by enforcing traffic laws and investigating serious crashes. That’s because aside from sensational horror stories, transportation coverage from outlets including the Daily News, the Post, and CBS 2 tends to be limited to attacks on bike lanes, pedestrian plazas and other measures — basically any change to the streetscape intended to reduce injury and death. That is, when those same reporters and editors aren’t blaming the victims themselves.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is looking to enlist car commuters in the fight for transit on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Two radio spots sponsored by Tri-State are airing on 1010 WINS this week, in advance of draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) hearings scheduled for February 28 and March 1. Here’s the copy:

It’s now or never to tame traffic on the Tappan Zee. New York State plans to replace the bridge, but they cut transit out of the plan. Bus rapid transit on the bridge will ease congestion, reduce pollution, create jobs, improve the economy, and get people where they want to go. Without transit, we’ll be stuck in traffic for decades. Tell Albany — we need transit on the Tappan Zee. Visit www.brtonthebridge.org.

Click to listen to the 30 second version and 10 second version.

Putting this message in the ears of drivers is a smart move, and speaks to the importance of transit to everyone who uses the bridge. Maybe motorists wading through Tappan Zee traffic will be more attuned to that reality than Governor Cuomo has shown himself to be.

Automated traffic enforcement cameras and lockboxes to protect transit funding are at the top of the legislative agenda for transportation advocates in 2012. Image: Wikipedia.

Many of Albany’s biggest transportation issues this year — the bloated and transit-free Tappan Zee, the unfunded MTA capital plan — will be decided by Governor Cuomo. But transportation advocates also have a slate of bills they hope to see make it through the legislature. Last year, the complete streets bill passed after a few prior attempts. Here’s what’s on the table for 2012.

Transit Lockboxes

Last year, lockbox legislation sponsored by Assembly Member James Brennan and Senator Marty Golden passed the legislature unanimously, only to have Governor Cuomo “eviscerate” the bill by amendment. The sponsors have vowed to try for the original language again.

The politics of the lockbox could be different this year if downstate legislators team up with their colleagues upstate. Buffalo Republican Mark Grisanti has introduced his own lockbox meant to protect dedicated funds for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. He is amenable to working with those hoping to protect the MTA. “If we can get the upstate folks talking about a lockbox bill in the same breath as the MTA, then maybe that sends a louder message to the governor,” said Nadine Lemmon, Albany legislative advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

Speed Cameras

Assembly Member Deborah Glick’s legislation to allow speed enforcement using automated cameras hasn’t gone anywhere in the past, but advocates have declared it a top priority for this year. “It’s speed cams all the time when it comes to Albany,” said Juan Martinez, general counsel for Transportation Alternatives.

The bill has support not only from transportation advocacy groups, but the New York City DOT and public health organizations. “There is a good coalition that’s gotten around it,” said Lemmon. That said, the bill still doesn’t have a Senate sponsor, an indication of how much work is left to be done.

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A rendering of the Wyandanch Rising project, which used a planning grant to develop a downtown redevelopment vision that went on to win both state and federal funding.

An important heads up from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign: Towns looking to shape their future around NYC region’s extensive transit network have until the end of the week to apply for a grant from Tri-State and the One Region Funders’ Group to help turn those aspirations into a concrete vision.

This marks the second round of grants being issued by the groups. The first, given out in 2009, have helped a number of cities and towns in the region. Stratford, Connecticut turned a $50,000 grant into a plan for growth around its Metro-North train station and a draft of a new zoning code. Those plans, in turn, earned Stratford $250,000 in additional funding from the state. Wyandanch Rising, a downtown development project on Long Island, parlayed its funding into $2 million from the federal goverment and a share in the $100 million prize Long Island received from the Cuomo administration for winning its economic development competition.

Towns and cities in southwestern Connecticut, northern New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester County are eligible for the grants, as is New York City. Grants will provide between $10,000 and $50,000 for planning and public outreach. You can get more information and apply on Tri-State’s website.

The passage of New York’s complete streets law was one of the year’s biggest victories for safe and sustainable transportation. At its annual benefit next Thursday, Tri-State Transportation Campaign will celebrate getting the  through Albany and honor three pivotal figures in that fight: Sen. Charles Fuschillo, the bill’s sponsor; Sandi Vega, whose daughter Brittany was killed while crossing Long Island’s Sunrise Highway and who became a tireless advocate for complete streets; and the AARP. Also speaking will be special guest Janette Sadik-Khan.

We’ll be there next Thursday and hope you will too. Tri-State is out there fighting for sustainable transportation options across the region — advocating for a highway teardown in New Haven, protecting LI Bus riders from fare hikes and service cuts, and helping to build transit-oriented communities around NJ Transit lines.

To help support Tri-State’s work, here’s where to go:

Tri-State Transportation Campaign Annual Benefit
November 3, 6pm to 9pm
Top of the Garden, 251 W. 30th St (16th floor), Manhattan
Tickets available from $150

While you’re blocking off space on your calendar for benefits and parties, don’t forget to sign up for “Streets of the Future” — the annual benefit for Streetsblog and Streetfilms, November 17 at the new Bicycle Habitat in Park Slope.

Older people are at much greater risk of being killed by a car while walking, especially in downstate New York. Image: Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

Pedestrians over the age of 60 are particularly at risk when walking on the streets of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, a new report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign shows. According to “Older Pedestrians at Risk,” an updated version of similar research from last year, the pedestrian fatality rate for those over 60 is more than 2.5 times as high as for those under 60. Senior citizens over the age of 75 are likelier still to be killed by cars while walking, with a fatality rate 3.1 times higher than for those under 60.

Between 2007 and 2009, 433 pedestrians over the age of 60 were killed in traffic crashes in the tri-state area. Two hundred and seventy one were killed on roads in downstate New York. Programs like New York City’s Safe Streets for Seniors have saved lives, said Tri-State, but they need additional funding for more widespread implementation.

Bill Ferris, the legislative director for AARP in New York, said the Tri-State report “showed some disturbing trends in how older persons are disproportionately killed walking in their own communities. This is unacceptable to AARP.”

The Tri-State authors identified four reasons that older pedestrians were disproportionately in danger from traffic. Older people are less able to quickly move out of the way of an oncoming vehicle and likely to sustain greater injuries from the same crash, two factors which contribute to an elevated pedestrian fatality rate nationwide. Design-wise, seniors suffer when streets are designed for a younger population, as when traffic lights don’t provide enough time for a slower person to safely cross the street.

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A map of New York-area pedestrian fatalities. Because so many people in the region walk, pedestrian safety measures can prevent a large number of deaths and injuries. Image: Transportation for America

Despite streets that remain far too dangerous for walking — 3,485 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes during the past decade in the New York metro area alone — efforts to pass a complete streets bill are still stalled in the state legislature.

The legislation, which would require all street projects that receive state and federal funding to accommodate the needs of everyone who uses the street, has passed the Senate Transportation Committee but hasn’t even been introduced in the Assembly yet. With less than a month left in the legislative session, a complete streets bill is going to need powerful supporters to clear the Albany gauntlet.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is urging complete streets supporters to go straight to the top: Governor Andrew Cuomo.

One of the most powerful letters to the governor comes from Sandy Vega. Vega’s daughter Brittany was killed last year while crossing Long Island’s Sunrise Highway, the second-deadliest road in the New York region. She wrote:

Dear Governor Cuomo,

I need your help. New York State needs a Complete Streets law, now, and I am requesting your support and advocacy to make sure this bill is passed before the legislature goes home.

New York has some of the most dangerous roads in the nation, and it is time to stop the carnage. In the fall of 2010, my daughter, Brittany Vega, a 14-year-old walking to school on Long Island, was struck and killed by a car while crossing the road. This particular road, Sunrise Highway, is a 6-lane, arterial road that bisects the central business and residential areas of our hometown in Wantagh. With no count-down clock, there was no way Brittany could tell how long she had to get across. With no pedestrian island in the roadway, she had no safe refuge. She made a guess, and it cost her life.

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