NYC Council passes bills on traffic crashes, senior pedestrian zones

Traffic calming devices that are designed to slow down traffic will now be mandated in parts of the five boroughs where a large number of senior citizens reside as the city plans to speed up part of its response to serious — and fatal — car crashes.

Both actions were part of a slate of bills the City Council passed on Thursday.

“Behind every crash is a family and a community impacted by this violence,” Speaker Adrienne Adams said before voting on the measures. “It’s important that the Council advance equitable policies like the legislation we’re voting on today to ensure that all New Yorkers can live, work and commute on safer streets.”

Tens of thousands of people die in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S. each year, and New York City is no exception. At least 67 people have died in traffic crashes so far this year, according to data from the city’s Department of Transportation. That's up from the same period last year, when the city reported 63 traffic deaths during the same time period.

Since the pandemic, the number of people killed by motorists in the city each year has risen. But the number of deaths is still down from a decade ago, before former Mayor Bill de Blasio took office and launched his Vision Zero program with the goal of making the streets safer.

Both bills passed unanimously and now head to Mayor Eric Adams’ office.

The first measure will require the DOT to submit its study on traffic violence incidents every four years instead of every five years. It’s also now required to disseminate that study, as well as another report on serious crashes done every three months, to community boards and the Council.

“The legislation would increase transparency, aid collaboration and help prevent traffic violence,” said Jumaane Williams, the city's public advocate and the bill's sponsor. “It's important to be clear that these bills represent a foundation. Definitely not a finish line.”

During the meeting, Councilmember Rita C. Joseph, who represents parts of Brooklyn, including Crown Heights and East Flatbush, said traffic incidents involving elderly pedestrians have increased and “are caused by speeding drivers, reckless drivers on the road.

“This is a matter of great concern,” said Joseph, who sponsored the other bill on senior pedestrian zones. “And it is our duty as this Council to take action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”

Under the bill, the DOT will now be tasked with installing traffic calming devices such as speed bumps and signs to slow cars that enter areas with a high concentration of older New Yorkers.

Across the country, nearly 43,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022, a small decrease compared to the previous year, according to a recently released report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And 23 states are expected to see an increase in traffic fatalities, as the nation continues to see an uptick in driving in the aftermath of the height of the pandemic.

“So much of the budget negotiations have been dominated by a so-called focus on public safety, but it ignores things like street safety, where we have solutions proving to save lives,” Williams said, referring to the city’s budget talks.