The Wrong Foot Forward

City and State spend 22 times as much on car safety as on ped safety.

A new study by Transportation Alternatives and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign shows that even though more pedestrians dun motorists die each year in crashes, the New York State and City DOTs plan to spend more than 22 times as much on highway safety in the City as on pedestrian safety Even though City DOT spends equitably, State DOT gets most of the Federal funding for traffic safety and spends all of it on highway safety. State DOT could easily re-direct some of its safety funding to City DOT. T.A. is calling for a 300% increase of spending on pedestrian safety, from $20 million to $80 million over the next five years.

How much is that traffic light worth?

Every New York City community has lots of them: dangerous places to cross the street. These may be crosswalks with faded paint or intersections in dire need of new traffic lights. In one such instance, near York College in Jamaica, Queens, it took the senseless death Last year of beloved psychology Professor James Wynne to get a traffic light installed. The College and the Borough President's office had been requesting the light for years. The light is there today, but the cost to Dr. Wynne's family, the college, and his students is immeasurable.

The money's there, so let's spend it!

Greater spending on pedestrian safety would still leave the vast majority of safety spending for use in preventing car crashes ($320 million for cars, vs. $80 million for pedestrians), while helping New Yorkers cross the street without risking their lives. The money would allow the city to implement the 15 mph speed limit bill and set up a traffic calming office to respond quickly and aggressively to community concerns.

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Early Traffic Calming Demonstration

Fourth and Broadway, Louisville, KY, 1952. Promotional photo for Howell Furniture Company. Photo by Stern J. Bramson. Copyright: University of Louisville.

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Giuliani Forms Bike/Ped Advisory Group

In a major T.A. victory, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced recently the formation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Coalition (BPAC). The Bicycle Blueprint, published by T.A. in 1993, called for an overhaul of the Bicycle Advisory Committee to raise its prominence and bring to it a higher level of professionalism. The Mayor's decision to form the BPAC is a crucial step in this direction.

The Coalition will benefit T.A. members and the entire City. Mayor Giuliani says that the Coalition will "ensure that the needs of the city's pedestrians and cyclists receive ongoing support from the City," and that "the needs of cyclists and pedestrians" will now be integrated into government planning and policy. T.A. applauds Mayor Giuliani for this intelligent step.

Find the Sign, Win a Prize

In April, T.A. offered by electronic mail a $25 bounty to the first person to find a speed limit sign on an avenue below 60th Street in Manhattan (not including West Street or the West Side Highway). So far, no one has claimed the cash. An alert T.A. staffer spotted a new 30 mph sign on Avenue C and 14th Street, but was not eligible for the jackpot.

T.A. accompanied the internet bounty notice with press releases to local newspapers in order to publicize the complete lack of speed enforcement in the City--especially in crowded pedestrian areas. An informal survey of 10 medallion cab drivers revealed that 5 did not know the speed limit. One said, "There is no speed limit in Manhattan!"

The City claims to have about 500 speed limit signs--one for every 11 miles of road (although the actual figure is probably lower due to theft and damage). Los Angeles, by contrast, boasts some 9300 signs, for an average of one every 1/2 mile.

So go out and find a speed limit sign. First reader to find one below 60th Street in Manhattan (not including West Street or the FDR Drive) wins $25. In the meantime, your comments or anecdotes on speeding or speed limit signs are welcome. And it's easy to write a short letter to the Mayor or your City Council Member. 

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