Complete Streets Law to Improve Safety of New York Streets
New York lawmakers recently took an important step toward making streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists by unanimously passing the Complete Streets bill.
January 14, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- New York City's streets and avenues are the key to the city's vitality, and millions of residents and tourists crowd NYC sidewalks and crosswalks every day. Those thoroughfares are also often congested with taxis, trucks, buses and other motor vehicles, and serious injury or wrongful death can too often result when negligent drivers fail to yield the right of way or otherwise jeopardize the well-being of others.
Bicyclists and motorcycle riders also face much greater risks of catastrophic injury when involved in an NYC car, truck or taxi accident then the drivers of those other vehicles. When so many different modes of transportation crowd onto urban streets, there is no room left for a driver's distractions, impatience or recklessness.
New York lawmakers recently took an important step toward making streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists by unanimously passing the Complete Streets bill. Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature made it state law, with the goal of utilizing complete street design principles to enable safe access to public roads statewide for all users.
Reducing the Incidence of Pedestrian, Bicycle and Motorcycle Accidents
Implementation of smart road designs can make a tremendous difference in the safety of individuals who don't have the benefits of vehicle frames, seat belts or airbags. The difference in mass between vehicles that have four wheels versus bikes, scooters and humans on foot makes for a very uneven playing field.
At the same time, policies that promote alternative uses of city streets reduce traffic and provide environmental benefits, clearing the air and alleviating congestion. Due to the wide range of benefits, the Complete Streets law was supported by groups as varied as AARP, the Sierra Club, the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance and the American Institute of Architects. Public health groups lent their endorsement to the bill due to its encouragement of physical activity.
Yet however noble, these goals are all trumped by the need to improve public safety on New York's streets, roads and highways. The Complete Streets law is also known as "Brittany's Law" to honor Brittany Vega, a 14-year-old Long Island girl who was killed on her way to school last year as she crossed Sunrise Highway - recognized as the second deadliest roadway for pedestrians in the NYC metropolitan region. As transportation blogger Steven Higashide commented, "Something is seriously wrong when getting to class on foot is too dangerous for a high-school student."
Smart Strategies for Creating Safer Roads
The Complete Streets law requires projects undertaken by the New York Department of Transportation, municipalities and public authorities to consider features that meet the needs of all users of New York roadways, including "pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, motorists and citizens of all ages and abilities, including children, the elderly and the disabled." The law also requires the DOT to report on the progress of its compliance with complete street principles.
The National Complete Streets Coalition emphasizes the basic meaning of the term in its title: streets are "complete" if they are built with everyone in mind, not just rushed automobile commuters, speeding truckers and aggressive taxi drivers. Complete streets are designed to facilitate safe and uneventful crossing of avenues, walking to businesses and using bikes to commute.
Sufficiently wide sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, bus lanes, median islands, roundabouts and adequate signals are all components of complete street design. Every intersection and street has its unique characteristics and hazards, but complete streets principles are equally applicable to urban and rural settings.
Yet many of the strategies used to create more complete roadways come with little cost and can be implemented quickly. For example, better sidewalks and bike lanes in commercial areas show a greater economic benefit than streets that focus only on optimizing car and truck traffic.
Protecting the Interests of Injured Pedestrians and Other Accident Victims
Incomplete street design is not only inefficient -- it can pose hazards of its own. Roadway defects such as poorly marked lanes, obstructing vegetation, potholes and inadequate traffic controls cause accidents, and in some circumstances public authorities can be held accountable for failing to meet safety standards.
A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can help those pedestrians injured, or family members of a wrongful death victim, identify potentially liable parties and assess their full range of legal options. While the Complete Streets initiative may take decades to bring many areas of New York City to a safer level, motor vehicle accident victims can gain advocacy and advice from attorneys who have experience in all types of personal injury litigation.
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