| Issue 53 | September 29, 1995 |
NYC Council Safety Bugs
Prompted by a series of Daily News and NY Post articles and editorials lambasting the NYC Dept. of Transportation for dangerous pedestrian crossings and unsafe roadways, the NYC Council Transportation Committee met this week to discuss traffic safety. The NYC DOT and the Police Department testified that they were actively developing a new safety campaign. Committee Chairman Noach Dear responded by asking DOT and NYPD to report back to the Council within sixty days on the status of their efforts, and threatened unilateral Council action if a concerted DOT-NYPD effort was not started within two months. Walter McCaffery (D-Jackson Heights), complaining about conditions on Northern Boulevard, called on DOT to install "hundreds" of red light enforcement cameras.Representatives of Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger and Transportation Alternatives demanded a major traffic enforcement campaign. The Neighborhood Streets Network asked the Council to introduce a 15 mph residential side street speed limit law and a resolution calling on the DOT to use traffic calming. Council staff are reviewing drafts of the proposed bills. Contact Paul Harrison at 212-475-4600 on traffic safety advocacy and legislation.
