Pedestrian Safety Myths Debunked by NYC DOT Landmark Study

Last Updated on February 3, 2018 by Lawrence Berezin

Are any pedestrian safety myths real?

This remarkable study, which was released on Monday by the DOT, will debunk pedestrian safety myths and is the most statistically ambitious of its kind ever undertaken by a U.S. City

I have read this study, which is chock full of fascinating information and statistics displayed in easy to understand charts and graphs representing an analysis of over 7,000 pedestrian crashes in NYC. Here are some of the surprising (maybe) results:

• Traffic crashes cost the City’s economy $4.29B annually
• Driver inattention was cited in nearly 36% of crashes resulting in pedestrians killed or seriously injured (put away those cell phones!)
• Most New Yorkers do not know the standard speed limit for city streets is 30 mph
• 79% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve private automobiles as opposed to taxis, trucks and buses
• Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs
• 43% of pedestrians killed in Manhattan lived in another borough or outside of New York City
• 2009 was the safest year on record in NYC history
• NYC’s traffic fatality rate is about one-quarter of the national rate and less than half the rate of the next 10 largest U.S. cities
• And much more…

So, What’s the plan?

I’m glad you asked. Here are some highlights:

• Install countdown pedestrian signals at 1,500 intersections
• Re-engineer 60 miles of streets for greater pedestrian safety, according to corridor crash data
• RE-engineer 20 intersections for pedestrian safety on major Manhattan two-way streets
• And more…

Commentary

Think about the travails of the driving public while trying to painlessly navigate the mean streets and sidewalks of NYC. You enter NYC and your first challenge is to make it through the congested intersections without being issued a parking ticket for blocking the box. You travel the highways and byways of NYC until you find an on-street parking space near your destination. Your second challenge is deciphering the hieroglyphics displayed on an NYC parking sign, without being issued a grotesquely expensive parking ticket.

After reading this report, your third challenge is negotiating the dangerous sidewalks to reach your destination, without being hit by a male operator of a private passenger vehicle talking on his cell phone. Whew…

The big but is NYC really deserves a standing ovation for its accomplishments in driver/pedestrian safety. We are all still much safer making our journey in NYC, than any other major city in the world.

Keep up the good work, NYC!

Would you like to read the NYC Pedestrian Safety Action Plan? If yes, click away mon ami

How would you like to eliminate noise from motor vehicles? Is it possible? Click gently to find out

Please tell us your reactions to the information in this amazing study. What surprised you? Please comment, your opinion matters to all of us.

(Larry’s note: great article summarizing this study in the NY Times, authored by Michael M. Grynbaum. Image at top of page is from this article)