Countdown Clocks Coming to 1,500 Intersections in NYC

As promised, the DOT is moving forward with a plan to install 1,500 countdown clocks at busy intersections in all five boroughs. (Here's a pdf map of the locations.) The crosswalk timers let pedestrians know exactly how much time they have before the next wave of traffic crashes down on them, and the DOT says they "take the guesswork out of" crossing the street. Today Mayor Bloomberg and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced that installation will begin this month. They also released the Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan, which they call the most comprehensive report of its kind in the nation, analyzing more than 7,000 crash records to find ways to improve safety conditions. Among other things, the report found:

Jaywalkers were involved in fewer collisions than those who waited for the "walk" sign.
Traffic fatalities in 2009 were down by 35% from 2001.
Most New Yorkers do not know the city’s standard speed limit is 30 m.p.h.
80% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve male drivers.
Manhattan has four times as many pedestrian killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs.
Side streets are safer: Serious pedestrian crashes are about two-thirds deadlier on major street corridors than on smaller local streets.
79% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve private vehicles, not taxis, trucks and buses.

So now you're armed with enough talking points to seriously bum out your next cocktail party! Besides the countdown clocks, the DOT is already planning some more street changes based on the data in the report, which Sadik-Khan calls "the Rosetta Stone for safety on the streets of New York." For starters, dozens of parking spaces will be removed next year from an undisclosed Manhattan avenue in an experiment "designed to make it easier for pedestrians to spot drivers taking left turns," the Times reports. And the city is also planning series of public service announcements to remind New Yorkers that the city’s posted speed limit is 30 miles an hour.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 16, 2010 3:57 PM

Comments [rss]

wilsonUWS

i really like countdown clocks. i moved here from san francisco where they are installed everywhere and they benefit pedestrians and cars alike. here, when the tourists see a red hand they immediately stop, even though the light could be only halfway done. i don't see how it hurts to know how much time you have to get across the street.

it also really benefits older and fat people, as they can't run across the street like the rest of us.

John L

I agree.

I wonder how much these clocks will cost and what's the point?

If fatalities are down and 30% of accidents are caused by driver inattentiveness then just crackdown on things like cell phone usage and if another 27% are caused by drivers failing to yield crackdown on those drivers too. Impose higher penalties and more points on their license if necessary and save the money that these stupid countdown clocks will cost.

Looking at the statistics I don't see where countdown clocks all over the city would help, maybe on very wide streets such as Queens Blvd but in most of the city I think it's a waste of money. Nothing in this data suggests that pedestrians are getting hit because they're caught in the middle of the street as the light changed.

I hate how they tell us what they're going to do but don't share what the estimated price tag will be because a lot of these things seem like a great idea until you see how many millions it requires, then it doesn't seem so great any more.

John L

oops that was in response to MidC Frank's comment

just saying

"Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs."

Okay, but Gothamist left out the below quote:

"The study found that 43 percent of pedestrians killed in Manhattan did not live in that borough, and that Brooklyn had the most pedestrians killed or seriously hurt."

It appears that Brooklynites are the most in danger of death by car.

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

the bullets are misleading

"80% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve male drivers."

Whats the breakdown of male/female drivers in NYC? How many female taxi drivers are out there? Maybe thats why men are involved in more accidents.

"Manhattan has four times as many pedestrian killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs."

There are probably 10X as many pedestrians on the streets in manhattan that could be why...

good reporting is hard.

GOP

Agreed.

fuboy

"Jaywalkers were involved in fewer collisions than those who waited for the "walk" sign."

Yup, Bloomberg's report confirms that jaywalking is better for you. Makes sense too, if a car has to slow down because of a pedestrian crossing the street, they're not doing 50 up 6th ave.

Walk when you can, folks!

GOP

That's not all of the story. While fewer jaywalkers got hit, when they did get hit they died more frequently than law-abiders that got hit.

Crapola

I'll settle for fixing those crosswalk signs that display both Walk and Don't Walk at the same time.

valeriob

You know what would be useful?

Small compasses engraved on every corner so when I tell a tourist to walk 3 blocks east and 2 blocks north they won't get hit by a car trying to figure out whats what or which way the sun is falling.

Såkandulæredet

I've seen these street compasses already in some places. They are right outside of the subway entrances. Pretty useful even for me even though I was born here, I still have issues downtown when the streets have names.

Actually the tourist maps should include a little compass that's re-calibrated to NYC uptown, which is 40°E of magnetic north.... now that'd be useful.