Questioning the DOT Over Pedestrian Safety
Though the Department of Transportation is touting the fact that pedestrian deaths have dropped from 366 in 1990 to 161 last year, many still think the DOT has a lot of work to do. During a City Council hearing about pedestrian safety issues, amNew York reported that the grandfather of 3-year-old James Jaccaricce, who was killed by a Hummer in Brooklyn, asked, "If the DOT is really concerned about pedestrian safety, why aren't the improvements being made?" The corner where Jaccaricce died had been studied by the DOT after two other children were killed there in 2003; the DOT even came up with a recommendation.
And others pointed to the fact that while pedestrian deaths are lower, there are still many pedestrian injuries. City Councilman John Liu said the DOT should set "clear objectives", "It doesn’t sound like there’s a comprehensive plan. There’s nothing we can measure performance-wise. It is unacceptable for the DOT to cite lower death rates as a measure of success.”
In other DOT news: Brooklyn's Community Board 6 asked the DOT to solve the "Bike Problem" on 9th Street and some are worried that a compromise over bike lanes in Soho might lead to other problems.
Photograph from the March pedestrian rally by Gary Kahn
