Bill de Blasio’s intrepid plan to fully eradicate traffic-related fatalities by 2024 is well underway. Despite being met by public scrutiny, the initiative called “Vision Zero” received some major funding from the federal government late last year and now we’re seeing more details unfold.
The broad plans for Queens were revealed Wednesday by the Department of Transportation, followed by Manhattan’s on Thursday – and now we’re seeing the first glimpse at how the plan (PDF) will affect Brooklyn, the borough with the most traffic-related deaths last year. The plan acknowledges some startling numbers regarding pedestrian fatalities in the borough: passenger vehicles are responsible for 73% off pedestrian deaths, hit-and-runs occur in 25% of all pedestrian fatalities, and senior citizens account for almost 40% of the deaths despite only making up 12% of the population among other pedestrian accident statistics available in the report.
To help curb those astonishing numbers, the plan will put much focus on 49 streets and 91 intersections. These areas only account for 9% of the borough’s street mileage, but are where half of all pedestrians are killed, the New York Daily News reports. In addition to the heavy focus on the roads themselves, the plan also outlines plans to lower speed limits, install road bumps and increase NYPD enforcement in the dangerous areas.
(Images: NYC.gov)
