BLACK BOX IN YOUR CAB
City’s traffic-death blitz
BLACK BOX recording devices in taxis (above), cameras that target speeders, lower speed limits and more cops are part of Mayor de Blasio’s new Vision Zero initiative aimed at curbing traffic deaths across the city. The mayor rolled out his high-tech, 63-point plan on Tuesday.
THE CITY declared war Tuesday on drivers who break the law and kill innocent bystanders.
In a sweeping new blitz on dangerous drivers, Mayor de Blasio unveiled a landmark safety plan with an audacious goal — eliminating traffic deaths in the city.
It includes a staggering 63 initiatives, from lowering the citywide speed limit and writing more traffic tickets to installing “black box” data recorders in taxis to document speeding cabbies.
“We don’t accept the status quo in this town that leads to so many people losing their lives who we could have saved,” the mayor said.
De Blasio had talked about improving traffic safety during the campaign, but the issue gained urgency with a series of highprofile traffic deaths.
He outlined his plan flanked by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg at a public school one block from W. 96th St. and Broadway, an intersection where three people were killed over 10 days this year.
Last year, 286 people died in traffic accidents — approaching the 333 people who were murdered in 2013. On average, someone is seriously injured or killed in a traffic accident every two hours.
De Blasio called his proposal “Vision Zero,” modeled after a Swedish approach that suggests all traffic deaths can be prevented.
De Blasio said that in other U.S. communities that have tried the Vision Zero tactics, the number of traffic deaths has fallen at least 25% faster than the national average.
“These are tried and tested ideas. They’re ideas that work,” de Blasio said.
“This is very much about raising consciousness and changing behavior.” The plan does not include a crackdown on jaywalking, but Bratton said precinct commanders have been empowered to enforce existing pedestrian regulations as they see fit.
Among the proposals: l Reducing the citywide speed limit to 25 mph from 30 mph, and installing more cameras to catch drivers who speed or run red lights. The current 30 mph limit is in effect in all places where another limit isn’t posted. l Increasing the NYPD’s Highway Division to 263 cops, from a low of 190, and having precinct officers devote more time to ticketing dangerous drivers. The NYPD also will buy more “speed guns” to catch leadfooted motorists. l Redesigning 50 intersections and streets a year to improve their safety, doubling the number of electronic signs that flash the speed of drivers, installing 250 speed bumps and improving lighting at 1,000 intersection. l Creating additional pedestrian islands, curb extensions,