Tuesday, February 15, 2011

MAKING WALKING, BIKING, AND DRIVING SAFER

UPDATE: The bills were passed.

The City Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow afternoon on three bills designed to make walking, biking, and driving less hazardous.

One bill will require the NYPD to provide data on traffic crashes and summonses, including where the incident occurred, the types of vehicles involved, how many injuries and fatalities resulted, and what contributed to the crash. The searchable database would be updated monthly and would be searchable by precinct and even by intersection.

Another bill will require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to compile data on bicycle crashes that are reported to city agencies.
The third bill will require the DOT to explain why it rejects a request made by a Community Board or a City Councilmember for a traffic control device. Devices could include traffic lights, green arrows for turns, stop signs, signs restricting speed, turns, parking, stopping, and standing, signs for buses, taxis, and car services, truck route signs, signs limiting vehicle size and weight, one-way signs, Do Not Enter signs, Yield signs, and road and curb markings.